Could It Really Be Him?
by Shadowed Night Sky
Summary: Kagome and Inuyasha get into a fight, but before Kagome can apologize, Inuyasha is killed. Kagome returns to her own time, vowing to never come back. Two years later, someone who looks exactly like Inuyasha shows up at her school. Could it really be him?
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer - I don't own InuYasha. What on earth made you think I did? Could you tell me so that I can show it to everyone else?**

**AN: My first Inuyasha story. EDIT: This chapter was revised on June 2, 2010. It went from just over 1000 words, to over 3000. ^_^' Yeah, I was surprised too.**

**Summary: Kagome and Inuyasha get into a fight, which leaves Inuyasha hurt and angry, and Kagome feeling guilty. But before she has the chance to apologize, Inuyasha gets killed in a fight while trying to protect her. Grief-stricken, Kagome returns to her own time, vowing to never return to the feudal era. But only two years later, someone looking exactly like the human Inuyasha shows up at her school. Could it actually be him?**

**No spoilers that I can think of.**

**Eventual Inuyasha/Kagome  
**

**Chapter One.**

One black eyebrow twitched expectantly as the golden eyes beneath them darted around, searching for a movement. The owner of the eyes was tense, ready to spring at any given moment. He was waiting for something. One ear - set atop his silver head - was flicking around, trying to catch some sound; the nose was sniffing out its prey. He was alert and ready, prepared for anything his catch would try to throw at him. Suddenly, he sensed his opponent behind him and swung around. But...it was too late.

"Arghhh!" In a whirlwind of orange, the beast jumped at him, landing directly on top of the startled predator. The vicious claws came down, swiping towards his face, closer, closer, closer, until...

"Ow! Inuyasha, you big meanie!"

"Huh. Don't sneak up on me like that then," replied the half-demon, snorting as he flexed his claws.

Shippo gingerly lifted him his small paw, touching the giant bump on his head that had sprouted up after Inuyasha had struck him. "Why'd you do it so hard?" he demanded, sniffling.

"Why'd you try to rip my face off?"

Shippo's green eyes widened they watered slightly. "I'm telling Kagome!" he whined, turning so he could flee from the irate half-demon.

"Oh no you don't!" exclaimed Inuyasha, grabbing Shippo by his fluffy tail. "I already got sat today because I didn't like Kagome's weird future food snack thing; I don't need her to sit me again just because you tattled on me. It wasn't that hard of a hit. Man up!"

"You're mean!" pouted Shippo, attempting to look intimidating as he hung in the air, still tightly clutched in Inuyasha's claws.

"I'm not mean!" protested Inuyasha. He grinned suddenly, baring his fangs as he leered at the tiny demon in his grasp. "But I can be if you make me angry enough."

Shippo squealed, kicking his foot directly into Inuyasha's face, causing Inuyasha to drop him. The young fox demon immediately set off, determined to escape from his older opponent, who was right on his heels, shouting threateningly as he kept a hand over his bleeding nose.

"You'll never catch me!" Shippo managed to yell out as he jumped, pushing a tree branch so it would hit Inuyasha.

The dog demon veered sharply, barely missing the branch. "We'll see about that ya little brat!"

* * *

Kagome Higurashi let out a deep sigh as she eased deeper into the water. Her head was leaning against a rock, the ends of her black hair floating in the water. Her eyes were closed, hiding the brown color beneath. Sango was across from her, also enjoying the relaxing male-free time as far away from Inuyasha, Shippo, and Miroku as possible. The three guys had all gone off after the snack of the day, and the two girls had taken advantage of this, deciding after much debate to take a bath. They both were looking forward to a bath that was Miroku-free.

"This is great," breathed Sango, as she rose up from beneath the water where she had been scrubbing her brown hair that was free from it's usual ponytail. "No thoughts, no worries...no Miroku," she added thoughtfully. "When do you think a time like this will come again, Kagome?"

"Never?" offered Kagome. Her eyes suddenly shot open. "I have a test coming up," she said, sitting up urgently. "I haven't studied at all for it. I'm going to fail. I'll never graduate. I'll become a garbage man...er, woman."

Sango looked pointedly at her friend. "We're her to relax," she reminded Kagome dryly. "Remember? Relaxation? A state free of nervous tension, rigidness and tenseness. This is a once in a lifetime chance, Kagome. When are we going to have another bath without Miroku skulking behind the bushes and rocks."

"You're right," admitted her fifteen-year-old companion as she resumed her original position. "But I thought you enjoyed it whenever Miroku spied on you?"

"What!" exclaimed Sango, her cheeks reddening.

"Well, yeah..." Kagome paused as a devious smile curled on her lips. "You always start blushing whenever he tells you that you have a heavenly body and that your breasts are perfectly shaped...kind of like how you are right now."

"I do not!" insisted Sango, her brown eyes flashing dangerously. The blush evident on her face subtracted the amount of intimidation she exuded by a large amount.

"Say that to my memories, Sango," was the response to the demon slayer's declaration.

The two girls continued chatting for a short while, enjoying the soothing waters of the hot spring. After a while, they fell into a peaceful silence, both of them lulled into a drowsy state by the calmness surrounding them. Sango's eyes were lidded as she gazed up at the azure sky. The weather today was perfect, with clear skies, crisp breeze, and warm sun. Sango sighed happily, sinking even lower into the waters, not paying attention as Kagome arose from the hot springs and grabbed a towel.

A twig snapped.

"Miroku!" shrieked Kagome, hastily wrapping the towel around her body. Sango's eyes snapped open as she shot up.

"Eh, Kagome?" came Miroku's voice as the purple-clad monk entered the clearing the hot springs were set in.

He only had a few seconds to notice the girls appearance before he ended up with a bright red hand print mark on his cheek and a throbbing head. Sango stood in front of him, eyes narrowed and towel clutched around her.

"What do you think you're doing, you pervert!" she yelled at him.

"W-wait, Sango," said Miroku. "I honestly didn't know..."

Sango turned around and snatched up her clothes, exiting the scene with Kagome closely behind, ignoring the rest of Miroku's protests.

Miroku stood in a daze for a minute, shaking his head. He breathed a disappointed sigh, knowing that the girls would never believe him if he said that he had - for once - wandered to the hot springs without any knowledge the girls were there.

_Next time I get into one of these situations, I should actually see something before I get hit_, he thought as he turned to walk back through the forest.

By the time he returned to the camp, the girls were dressed, with their hair drying quickly from the heat. They ignored him, seemingly determined to forget the incident.

He sat down across from them, wishing that Inuyasha was there so he could complain to the half-demon.

Unfortunately, both Inuyasha and Shippo were nowhere to be seen.

_Even Kirara's glaring at me_, moaned Miroku as he slumped down dejectedly.

Shippo bit his lip hard, trying not to let loose a cry of pain as a branch hit him directly in the nose. He knew that while Inuyasha was going easy on him, that didn't mean that he would still lose to the half-demon. Inuyasha was out of his line of vision at the moment. Shippo broke into a run, praying that he would reach the camp soon so that Kagome could rescue him.

He scrambled through some bushes, ignoring a scratch that appeared on his arm. He sniffed the air, smelling the smoky evidence of a fire.

"Oi, Shippo! Do you honestly think I can't see you there?" Inuyasha's voice rang out from right above Shippo. The small fox demon jumped, stifling his squeal that leaped unbidden into his throat, and started scurrying in the direction of the camp.

"Oh Shippo," sang Inuyasha, teasing the child who was racing as fast as his short legs could carry him.

Shippo spotted the flickering light of a fire ahead and made a mad dash to the finish. He had nearly made it, already tasting the victory of winning this round of cat and mouse, when he strong grip suddenly latched itself onto his tail, pulling him up and off the ground and away from the protective embrace of Kagome.

"Gotcha!"

"Kagome!" squawked Shippo, knowing instantly what he had to do to enable Inuyasha's downfall. "Inuyasha's being mean to me!"

There was a moments silence.

"Inuyasha...Sit!"

"Gaah!"

Shippo gingerly pushed himself off the ground, padding himself to check for injuries. Feeling none, he turned to look down at the defeated half-demon who lay face-down on the ground. He smiled proudly.

Inuyasha slowly raised his head up, dirt smudged on his cheeks and nose. "I _hate_ it when she does that," he groaned, mostly to himself.

"Live with it," snapped Kagome irritably. Her bad mood had risen again, brought about by a combination of events. The not-so-good days events were floating back to her. She had woken up that morning when Shippo - who had been going to relieve himself - had tripped over her face. Unable to fall back asleep, she had been awake by herself for nearly two hours before Sango arose. She had made a snack for the group to share...Inuyasha hadn't liked it all that much and made it a point to announce it to the world. Later, Miroku had started hitting on the daughter of a traveler, leaving both Sango and Inuyasha to fire insults at him, leaving Kagome to heartily apologize to the scandalized man. Then Sango had attempted to cook a meal, trying to give Kagome a break from the work she usually did. She had burned it and ended up wasting precious food. Aside from that, Kagome remembered that she had a big test coming up that she hadn't studied for and would doubtlessly fail.

Overall, it hadn't been a good day.

"Wow, someone's in a good mood right now," said Inuyasha sarcastically as he raised himself to a seated position.

"Well, yeah, actually! I am in a bad mood! And I don't need you making it worse!"

Inuyasha's ear twitched as his eyes hardened, always a sure sign of anger for him. He rose as well, his naturally short temper thinning considerably as he stared the time-traveling girl down. "You don't have to start taking it out on everyone else, ya know!"

"Why? I should just be happy all the time?" ground out Kagome furiously.

"Hey, hey!" Miroku raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, trying to calm the two down. "Look, its been a long day. Just sit down and relax, okay?"

Kagome ignored him as she looked angrily at Inuyasha. "Well?" she shrieked. "Do I just have to be perfect all the time?"

"I never said that!" retorted Inuyasha. "I just said you don't have to bother us with your whining.

"Uh, guys, maybe you two should just..." Sango was cut off as Kagome's voice heightened its volume.

"You should stop being so selfish!"

"You should stop whining so much!"

Miroku and Sango exchanged nervous glances as Kagome shot up from the ground, towering over the half-demon. "You're such a jerk!" she shouted at him, her brown eyes flashing.

"Oh, and I suppose that's a bad thing?" Inuyasha taunted her, as he too rose to his feet, standing only a couple of inches above Kagome. They both stood glaring at each other, sparks flying from their eyes as the tension mounted, both fully angry as they stared each other down.

Shippo clutched a hand onto Kirara as she moved closer to him. He looked nervously at Sango and Miroku, both of whom looked to be at a loss about what they should do.

"Guys..." started Sango once more as both she and the monk stood up, but was again interrupted.

"Why don't you just leave me alone for once!" yelled Kagome, her hands clenching into fists.

"Why? Don't want your _pet_ hanging around you so much?" spat out Inuyasha, his rage apparent in his golden orbs.

Kagome lifted her chin, as she dug her heels into the ground, standing firm. "I guess I have a sorry pet too," she said coolly. "It's not even a pure-breed."

The smirk on Inuyasha's face vanished instantly as dead silence crept over the campsite. Not a muscle moved as Inuyasha stared at Kagome, a disbelieving expression visible. His mouth opened as though he wanted to say something, but no words came out. He worked his jaw for a second before snapping it closed.

Sango instinctively took a step forward, a hand poised to either comfort and restrain.

Kagome stared at Inuyasha, her eyes wide with surprise as her words rang through her mind, echoing again and again.

A tremor ran through Inuyasha's body as his hands balled into fists, closed so tightly that his knuckles were white. He trembled slightly as his head bowed, rejection and hurt shining from every pore of his body.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome began, her voice shaky as she lifted her hand towards him.

He immediately jumped back, avoiding her. She faltered, watching him in confusion.

"What a pity you feel that way," he said, his voice cracking as he turned away from Kagome. "Maybe you should just get a new pet."

His shoulders shuddered as he spoke. Kagome's mind whirled helplessly, speechless from shock. He didn't turn to look back at her as he suddenly pushed off the ground, leaping from the various trees in the forest only to disappear within seconds.

Kagome's knees buckled beneath her. She dropped to the ground like a dead weight. Her eyes stared blankly ahead, the silence surrounding her accusing and unbearable.

She could feel her companions stunned eyes as they observed the scene.

"...K-Kagome?" whispered Shippo, bewildered by the drama playing before him.

Kagome's body jerked as though stung, and she staggered to her feet, not daring to look at her friends after what she had said. She stumbled fowards before gaining speed, fleeing into the forest opposite of the way Inuyasha had taken. Tears filled in her eyes as she ran and she did nothing to stop their flow down her cheeks.

The remaining members of the group stayed petrified in a horrified silence. All three were struck dumb, unable to speak or move.

Sango was the first to regain her senses, her mind clearing as she turned to the others, a frown marring her brow. "We should probably talk to them," she said to Miroku.

Miroku nodded, already beginning to move into the forest, but Sango grabbed his arm to halt him. "Shippo," she sternly. "Stay here and watch the camp with Kirara. We'll be back soon."

The fox kit nodded, watching solemnly as both Miroku and Sango moved away.

"You go after Kagome," said Sango, indicating the direction Kagome had taken with her head. "I'll follow Inuyasha."

"Good luck," said Miroku as he started following Kagome's path.

Sango dashed off quickly into the foliage, disappearing in the general direction that Inuyasha had gone.

Kirara mewled softly as Shippo bit his lip, reaching down to stroke the creature. "Don't worry, Kirara," he said comfortingly. "Everything will be just fine."

_It has to be._

Sango ran through the forest, brushing the branches out of her way as her eyes darted back and forth, searching for the half-demon. Sango could feel something nagging her as a sick feeling settled in her stomach.

She flew past the figure of a tiny bird that had fallen from its nest and broken its neck. The sick feeling heightened considerably as Sango continued running. Though she had seen several similar sites before, she felt like this was an ominous warning of sorts.

_Inuyasha, where are you?_ asked Sango as she strove to run even faster._ Kagome didn't mean it, you know she didn't_. Sango shook her head slightly, desperately wondering what had caused Kagome to say something so hurtful and wounding to Inuyasha. The half-demon had looked so devastated - and the insult had been so cruel - that Sango knew without a doubt this wasn't an argument that would simply be blown off like so many of theirs were.

_Kagome_, thought Sango as she ran. _You probably just made one of the biggest mistakes of your life._

_

* * *

_

**Just for all the people out there who hate bashers (or who like character bashing), this story has no Kagome bashing. I love Kagome's character and the Inuyasha/Kagome pairing, which is what this story is going to be. I didn't really like making Kagome say that to Inuyasha, but it was necessary for the story. Don't hate me! :)  
**

**Please review if you liked this story! More reviews means I'll update sooner!**


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer - I only own InuYasha in my dreams. And the sad thing is, I don't dream that often. I usually have dreamless sleeps, so I rarely own InuYasha. :(**

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews and alerts I received! I hope you enjoy this chapter too! EDIT: This chapter was revised on June 5, 2010.**

**Chapter Two.**

As Miroku avoided a low-hanging branch, he caught sight of the clear waters of the hot springs he had stumbled upon earlier that day. He winced mentally, still able to feel the sting of the slap he had received from accidentally catching sight of the girls.

The moonlight was reflecting brightly on the waters as he approached the springs, brushing back the last sharp branches of the surrounding trees. He instantly picked up the sounds of restrained cries.

Miroku caught sight of Kagome sitting dejectedly on a smooth, glistening gray rock next to the springs. In the dim lighting of the moon, he could see the tear streaks on her face, shining brightly from the light hitting her. "Kagome," he called gently, knowing better than to startle the girl at this very moment.

She gave no sign that she had heard him.

The monk released a small sigh before climbing up the rocks to join Kagome, sitting on the rock beside her. For a few minutes of awkward silence, he sat staring into the eerie, dark forest in front of him. "It's a nice night, isn't it?" he said offhandedly, figuring that was the best way to start an uncomfortable conversation.

He had to strain to hear Kagome's response. "I'm so stupid," she announced, her voice wavering. She hid her head in her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs as though to shield herself from the world. "I'm just so _stupid!_"

"Sometimes," agreed Miroku cheerfully. "But...we're all stupid sometimes. It's human nature to be stupid. And to flirt with cute girls. And to have bad moods. I have bad moods, you have bad moods...actually, now that I think about it, even demons have bad moods, and technically, they're _not_ human. Even animals have bad moods. So, it's the way of life to have a bad mood every once in awhile."

"What does that matter?" demanded Kagome, her voice muffled. "Just because I was in a bad mood gives me absolutely no right to hurt my friends. I can't go off saying things like that...you don't deserve that and Inuyasha didn't deserve it. I'm a complete and utter idiot for saying that. I...I just _hate_ myself. Inuyasha will never forgive me...and I don't blame him."

"You're right," said Miroku evenly. "It didn't give you the right to say something like that. "But," he added thoughtfully, "you did say it, so there is no turning back now. You're just going to have to face what you did and take the consequences without complaint."

Kagome raised her head and glared at Miroku, her eyes still watery. "Did Sango send you here to comfort me or to make me feel even worse than I already did?"

"Look Kagome," Miroku began, shifting his stance so he was facing her directly. "All I'm trying to say here, is that there is no point just sitting here sulking about the fact that you insulted Inuyasha in probably the worst possible way you would ever be able to think of. Just wait," he said, holding his hand up to stop her from speaking as she opened her mouth, an indignant look on her face. "Listen, okay?" Kagome narrowed her eyes, but nodded reluctantly, resting her chin on her knees. Miroku continued, "Inuyasha really likes you, you know that right? A lot...maybe even more than just as a friend. This hurt him really badly, but my point is...he knows you well enough that no matter how deeply he's hurt, his subconscious will tell him that you would never intentionally hurt him like that. It was a mistake. You feel guilty and pretty awful about it. You can't take back what you said - no matter how much you want to - but even though it will take a long time, he will eventually forgive you. Kinda like how he did with...er, forgive my example, but he'll forgive you like he did with Kikyo. Trust me."

Kagome sat still, not a word escaping her lips as she looked blankly in front of her, not responding to Miroku's heartfelt speech. But she finally raised her eyes so she could meet the monk's amethyst ones. Her lips curled into a thin, bitter smile. "Thanks Miroku," she whispered. "I'm not sure that you're right - about Inuyasha forgiving me - but I'll talk to him. Maybe he'll...be able to forgive me."

"Don't expect too much, Kagome," warned Miroku, suddenly feeling like he would be blamed if everything did not go well. "You know how Inuyasha gets (stubborn, narrow-minded, refusing to listen to others) but I'm, uh, pretty certain he'll come around. Eventually. Don't be disappointed if he doesn't forgive you right away."

"I _will_ be disappointed," stated Kagome, her voice leaving no room for doubt. "But I won't be surprised. I don't expect him to forgive me right away. I don't deserve him to forgive me right away, not after what I said to him. I know it'll probably take awhile, but hopefully - one day - things will be back to normal."

Miroku gave her a genuine grin. "I'm sure it will," he said reassuringly.

Kagome stretched her arms out behind her. "Thank you, Miroku," she said again. "I really do appreciate it."

Miroku flashed her his award-winning smile that made hundreds of girls swoon (according to him, anyway) as he stood up. "Right then!" he exclaimed, his voice abandoning the uncharacteristic solemnness. "If we're done here, let's head back to camp. Shippo's tending the fire by himself, so we might not have a camp to return to if we let him stay in charge of that for long. We probably wouldn't even have a forest for that matter. Kirara's much more talented at setting objects on fire rather than putting fires out."

"You're right," said Kagome as she stood up and brushed herself off. She flipping her hair behind her shoulders as she leaped off the rock. "And the instant we make sure the camp's safe, I'll go find Inuyasha and talk to him. Maybe he'll come back to camp tonight if he listens to me. C'mon, Miroku! Let's go." She started off in the direction of the camp, not waiting for Miroku as he jumped off the rock to follow her.

She paused suddenly as a familiar feeling rushed through her.

"Kagome, did you sense that too?" asked Miroku from behind her. His eyes were worried as he frowned, already looking urgently for the source of the feeling.

"Yes," replied Kagome slowly, turning around with alarm evident in her eyes. "An extremely powerful demonic aura. And it feels very close!

* * *

Sango glared at her sleeve as a small rip appeared, caused by a sharp branch that looked more like a lance than an innocent stick of wood. She had been scouring the forest for the past ten minutes in search of the evasive half-demon. "Inuyasha!" she yelled to the deceptively empty forest. "Get over here! I know you're out there! I just want to talk!" She cocked her head, listening for a reply. "I'm not stupid!" she called out after receiving no answer. "I know you can hear me!"

She resumed her search, walking now as she knew she was closer to her friend than earlier. The wind was whistling loudly through the trees, causing some leaves to fall, several landing on Sango. She irritably blew one off her shoulder as she whisked the ones stuck in her brown hair away.

Sango sighed, her temper rising at the stillness around her. "Inuyasha! I know that you're out there, okay? I know that you're hurt and angry, but I just want to talk to you. Sulking isn't going to get us anywhere, so just say something! C'mon!"

Sango released a weary breath as she collapsed against a tree, sliding down to the soft ground. "Look, Inuyasha," she said, not certain that he was near enough to hear her or not. "I know what Kagome said was wrong...and hurtful. And I know that it's not something you can forgive easily. But you _know_ that Kagome would never purposefully hurt you, right? We're just human, Inuyasha. We say stupid, idiotic, thoughtless things when we're angry. Things that we normally don't say..." she paused, surveying the trees and foliage around her, searching for a sign of the half-demon. "...things we don't mean."

There was still no sound as Sango bowed her head, laughing slightly. "You know that, don't you, Inuyasha? We don't consider you a-a half-breed. We think of you as our friend. A friend who we can't imagine traveling without, not just because we'd be dead without you there to save us all the time, but because you help us through the day by being your normal, idiotic, short-tempered exasperating self." Sango smiled, remembering that morning's difficulties. "Even when we get mad at each other, we still always appreciate that each of us are still there. Still alive, still together. I never really realized it before, but everyone in our group as their own place. We have a routine, you know? Without Miroku there, we probably wouldn't get in as much trouble in the towns...but we'd have a lot more difficulty finding nice houses and food and someone to take our anger out on. Shippo is the little kid who makes us that much more responsible, but who also reminds us to have fun sometimes. Can you imagine traveling without Kagome? She cooks, she cleans, she heals, she fights. She holds us together really well. Without me..." Sango shrugged. "Well, I have no idea what I do except for burn food and fight battles, but without Kirara you'd have more trouble traveling."

Sango scanned the area, wondering if her speech was actually being heard. "You know, Inuyasha, without you...there wouldn't be a group. Kagome holds us together, but you keep us together in a much different way. I don't even know what it is but..." Sango bit her lip, chewing thoughtfully. "Kagome really cares for you - all of us do. She made a mistake, and she knows it, and I speak with utter confidence that she feels worse than she ever has before."

Sango leaned her head back, staring up towards the blocked sky, reflecting on her words. It really was true, she thought. About everything she had said. And - hopefully - Inuyasha had heard it.

She probably wouldn't be able to do a repeat of the speech.

Suddenly, Sango stiffened, shooting off the ground, her shoulders tense and her eyes wary as she stood still. A powerful demonic aura had just been felt nearby...and it was getting closer. Sango instantly started running, but before she had moved even a couple of feet, a faint cry rang out through the forest.

She immediately quickened her pace, heading directly towards the camp. As she flew through the greenery, she detected a flash of red among the trees not far away. She felt a huge load lift off her chest.

Inuyasha had heard her after all.

As she headed back to the camp to grab her weapon, she prayed that what she had said would be enough. What Kagome had said really affected Inuyasha, and if he left the journey would probably come to an end. Sango tried to force the thought out of her head. This group was her family now after her own had been slaughtered and her worst nightmare was losing this one as well.

If Inuyasha left, so would Kagome.

Sango couldn't imagine what would happen if they were both gone.

* * *

**Roses are red, violets are blue, if you liked my story, then please review! (You know you want to!)**


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer - I would only be able to own Inuyasha if I was a billionaire and bought Inuyasha with my money. Unfortunately, I'm an ordinary girl without billions of dollars laying around. *pouts*  
**

**AN: The third chapter is finally out. It's a lot shorter than I would've liked but...all well. I actually rewrote it about five times, trying to make it perfect. My updates will be slow since I write when I get inspiration and since I have about four other stories in progress. (I know, I'm awful!) EDIT: This chapter was revised on June 23, 2010.**_  
_

_**'Blah'**_ **- ****Flashbacks**

_'Blah'_ **-** **Thoughts**

**Chapter Three.**

Kagome cried out as a large demon crashed through the trees sending bark and splinters flying in every direction. The demon was large, about nine feet tall. It was a sickly purplish green with bone colored horns sticking out from his body in several places. His huge yellow eyes were blank, the skin pulling around them to a pale, white shade. His teeth were sharp, sticking from his mouth like fangs. Foam bubbled from the corner of his mouth as he released a loud, rumbling roar. His saliva dripped onto the ground, leaving behind puddles of disgusting, most likely poisonous liquid. He roared out unintelligible words as he swung his arm around crazily, knocking over trees and cracking a thick trunk right down the middle with his spikes.

He swung his horned arm down at the two humans in front of him who were dwarfed by his side. They immediately jumped out of the way, narrowly missing being impaled by the spikes. "Miroku!" shrieked Kagome.

"I'm fine," answered the monk as he stumbled over a fallen log. "Can you fight?"

"I don't have my bow! It's still at the camp!"

Miroku dived behind an intact tree, catching his breath as Kagome joined him, throwing herself down beside him, chest heaving from lack of air. "I don't have my bow," she repeated between gasps.

"Just stay hidden then," said Miroku, reaching inside his robes. "There is no way Inuyasha and Sango could have missed this aura! They should be on their way! I'll stall this demon until they get here!"

"Be careful," called Kagome as the monk leaped away from the tree. The next instant she followed suit as the demon swiped at it, his claws ripping the wood into slivers.

"I know," Miroku said as the demon turned its blank eyes onto them.

* * *

Sango pushed past the last barrier of branches, bursting into camp with twigs stuck in her brown hair, chest heaving from lack of air. "Are you okay?" she panted to Shippo as she began stripping off . her traveling clothes to reveal the slayer outfit underneath.

Shippo nodded shakily. "Y-yes," he wavered when he realized Sango couldn't see him as she grabbed her weapon. He was quaking with anxiety as the distinct sound of trees falling to the ground was heard. "K-Kagome doesn't h-have her b-bow."

"Kirara!" called Sango as she adjusted her now high and tight ponytail. "Shippo, hand me Kagome's weapons!"

Shippo grabbed Kagome's bow and arrows and Kirara transformed. "I'm c-coming too!" he insisted as Sango leaped onto Kirara's back. He clambered on behind her, clutching the bow and arrows tightly in his fist.

"Hold on tightly," ordered Sango mindfully, not bothering to object as another tree fell and the demon's cry could be heard for miles, the voice filled with fury and blood lust. "Let's go, Kirara!"

* * *

The landscape blurred before Inuyasha's eyes as he traveled through the forest at full speed. And though he appeared focused and determined to any onlooker, his mind was in turmoil and his thoughts far away from the fight that he was heading towards. His brain kept on rewinding and hitting play, the memory on stuck repeat, playing the same awful images over and over again. Kagome's words echoed through his senses, nearly blinding him with the pain they caused. _**I guess I have a sorry pet too, it's not even a pure-breed. **_Inuyasha's head was lowered, his lips curled into a snarl.

It had happened before, so many times. He and Kagome often butted heads, disagreeing over the most trivial of matters, to bickering over life changing events. There were plenty of times Inuyasha had been furious at Kagome; hell, there had been plenty of times he was on the verge of storming away from the group. He actually _had_ stormed away from the group a few times though it was never permanent. He always returned within a couple of days.

But this time...

This time Kagome had gone too far.

Inuyasha sucked his breath in, struggling against the urge he felt to simply _stop_ and not move any closer to the girl who had said those words, despite the danger she was in. Kagome had gone overboard. And Inuyasha couldn't see himself forgiving her or really actually trusting her anywhere in the future. **_It's not even a pure-breed. _**The words taunted him over and over like a broken record.

_Why?_ demanded Inuyasha angrily as he landed on a branch hard enough to send a splintering crack through the middle. _Why would she say something like that? How could she even say something like that? After all she's seen and learned about the way half-demon like me are treated, how could she just say that? I'm ridiculed enough by the demons around me; I sure as hell don't need her to start it too._

Though Inuyasha had sat stubbornly in a tree, refusing to respond to the demon slayer's calls, he had been close enough and open-minded enough to listen to Sango's rousing speech and heart-felt words. And yet Inuyasha found himself unable to really care. It just didn't matter. _An accident__, _he thought, snorting_. You don't just think something by accident. Sure, you can say something by accident, but you have to think it first, really believe it, to actually be able to say it. And she was thinking about me as a...as a..._

Inuyasha squeezed his eyes shut, as tight as possible, refusing to allow even the termites hidden in the tree trunks to see the liquid threatening to spring from his pain-filled golden eyes.

Because Kagome - _Kagome_...Kagome who always thought the best of people, who always tried to do that right thing, who always forgave, and always accepted...thought of him as a...as a...

_She thinks of me as a half-breed, a creature not fully human and not fully demon, impure and defiled. _

A half-breed. She thought of him not as Inuyasha but as a half-breed.

And that hurt more than Inuyasha cared to admit.

* * *

A shudder ran through Kagome's body as she felt the earth tremble viciously beneath her as another tree came crashing down, torn away from its foundation by the demon's monstrous fist. Miroku was across the now much larger clearing, sweating and breathing hard, already exhausted. He had already thrown several sutras at the demon, with no effect.

_Inuyasha! Where are you?_ wondered Kagome desperately. She stopped for a moment, regaining her breath as the silver-haired boy crossed her mind._ Inuyasha, will you even come? _

Would he come? Kagome couldn't be sure, and she felt her heart skip a beat as the thought crossed her mind that maybe...just maybe, for the first time, Inuyasha would not come when she needed him. For all of Miroku's kind and encouraging words, Kagome just _knew_ that there was a chance that Inuyasha might not come after how much she had hurt him...hurt him so terribly.

There had been numerous - uncountable, really - times that she had been angry at Inuyasha before. It was like a daily routine for the two of them. He would do something highly irritating and she would get ticked off. He would come up with some insult and she would glare at him and proceed to the everyday (often several times a day) time when she sat him. They would then get into a huge argument which resulted in him getting sat several more times with Kagome standing over him furiously, eyes flashing. Their companions would be left to the side as spectators, often shaking their heads over the incident.

Kagome had called him annoying, she had called him an idiot. She would yell at him that he was a jerk, a moron, that he was stupid, that he had no sense of understanding, many many names that seemed never ending. But never, _never_, had she said anything that deliberately insulted something like his blood or background. Never had she said anything about him being a half-demon...a half-breed. The thought of him being one rarely crossed her mind, and when she was fighting with him, that insult had never risen to her tongue. It had never even occurred to her to say something like that, because it wasn't right, and she didn't believe it was right.

So why on earth had she done it this time? What had caused that name to rise up?

A loud shriek escaped Kagome's lips as the demon suddenly changed its course, heading directly towards her looking rightly enraged. The blankness in his eyes had changed with the color, the now black eyes glinting with an even more evil, murderous stare. The demon roared out, spit dripping down his chin as he swung his arm back, giving it more momentum as he suddenly switched directions, sending the deadly spiked arm directly towards her.

Kagome screamed.

* * *

Inuyasha couldn't help but feel a bitter anger directed towards himself as he jumped from branch to branch. Despite what Kagome had said to him, he was _still_ racing through the forest at top speed, ready to save her from the danger threatening her.

He hated that. He wished that he could have enough anger at Kagome to let her and the others deal with the demon on their own for once.

But he just _couldn't_. No matter how much he wished for that cold demon heart that wouldn't have hesitated in abandoning the others, he had to admit that he didn't have it.

And that he really didn't wish for that as much as he liked to pretend he did.

It seemed that no matter how angry he was at Kagome, he would always make sure that he was there, ready to save her from any danger that jeopardized her safety. No matter what the cost or what his feelings were at the moment, he cared - perhaps even loved - Kagome enough to protect her by any means possible.

So when her scream rang through the surrounding forest. Inuyasha was suddenly spurred forward with an extra burst of energy as soon as he heard Kagome's cry. He flew over the last hurdles and sailed into the clearing, his golden eyes instantly locking onto the sharp, spiked arm heading right to Kagome. Instantly analyzing the situation, he could already tell he did not have time to draw his Tetsaiga, let alone use the Wind Scar.

The only possible escape that Kagome had flashed through his mind, and he didn't hesitate for a moment, dashing towards Kagome without a second thought. He sped past any obstacles faster than he ever had before, and planted himself directly in front of her, focused completely on her shivering frame.

* * *

Kagome's eyes widened as the arm came down towards her. She couldn't move, it was almost like her body was paralyzed. Time almost seemed to slow down as the arm swerved in a downwards arc, slicing through the air expertly. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was going to die. There was nothing around to save her. She distantly heard Miroku yelling her name, but she couldn't even focus on him, knowing he was too far away to help. She silently prepared herself for the pain of the final blow, and she closed her eyes.

_Inuyasha_, she thought. _I'm sorry...about everything. Everything I've ever done to you that was wrong. If I could change it...I would. I don't think about you as a half-bre...a half-demon, because to me, you're not. You're just Inuyasha. You're brave, strong, annoying, awfully stupid at times, and you're just you. And that's all that really matters to me._

She opened her eyes, feeling strangely calm at the thought of the dog demon. She was steeling herself for the beginnings of the pain that would signal the end of her life when her vision was suddenly filled with red.

Kagome vaguely heard a pain-filled grunt, and she slowly laid a hand on her face, pulling it away after feeling sticky substance on her cheeks, much of which had transferred to her hands. Her blurry, red-splattered vision cleared.

Her eyes focused on the gruesome scene in front of her, and her parted her lips with a silent gasp of horror. Because right in front of her, with blood pouring out from his back and chest, blood dripping down from the corners of his mouth, barely visible because of his bowed head, was Inuyasha.

_Inuyasha!_

Th demon made a noise that almost sounded annoyed. He twisted his large arm in the half-demon in front of him. Inuyasha released a groan, his eyes squeezing shut from the pain. He started sinking to his feet, blood gushing from his obviously fatal wound.

The demon's black eyes were practically twinkling at the sight in front of him. He grinned and pushed his spiked arm in a bit deeper, listening for and being rewarded by the agonizing moan that escaped Inuyasha. He pulled his arm back out and watched as Inuyasha collapsed on the rocky ground, the blood staining the dirt beneath him as it seeped into the absorbing earth. The red liquid did not cease its flow but thickened instead as the demon lay a hand on his back.

The demon mumbled under its breath, doing something that appeared to be a type of ritual. He clenched his hand before standing up, black eyes fading back to yellow as he eyed the girl in front of him.

Kagome's eyes were opened wide, lips parted in a shocked gasp. "Inuyasha?" she whispered softly, edging forwards.

Suddenly, the demon turned his head, sensing the danger before actually seeing it. Sango's shout was loud and clear. "Hiraikotsu!" she cried, releasing her weapon, sending it whirling towards the demon who had no time to move before the weapon reached him. The weapon cut through his thick, solid neck and landed ten feet away with a sickening thud, a trail of blood connecting it to its body that wavered for a moment before careening to the ground, crushing the head beneath it and narrowly missing Miroku who was running towards Kagome with a stricken look on his face.

"Inuyasha? Inuyasha?" Kagome reached the half-demon, dropping onto her knees and ignoring the pain that racked her knees as they hit solid rock. A shudder racked her form at the sight of her closest friend. "Inuyasha? Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" Kagome's voice rose with hysteria as she received no reply. She placed her arms on his back as began shaking him, desperate for a response. "Inuyasha! _Inuyasha_!"

"K-Kagome." Inuyasha's voice was ragged, his face pinched in pain as he spoke her name. He twitched slightly before moving his arm to try and support the rest of his body, straining to reach an upright position. "K-K...K-Kago...me..." Inuyasha sent a wild look to her, his lips moving in a crazed speech.

"Get back down!" Kagome sobbed, trying to get him to return to his original position without touching him, not wanting to injure him farther. "What are you doing? Lie down! Lie down!"

Inuyasha's mouth was open, trying to communicate with the hysterical girl but no words came out. He stiffened slightly, before a shudder ran through his body, and his arm gave out beneath him, sending him crashing back onto the ground, eyes still open in an almost pleading look, face pale white, and skin already turning cold.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha! _Inuyasha_!"

Kagome had reached forwards as he fell down, attempting to catch him...but to no avail.

* * *

**I'm not too sure how this chapter came out. I tried to keep everyone in character as much as possible and I can only hope I succeeded! Please tell me what you thought by clicking on that little thought bubble down there and telling me what you thought. Leave me a ten page review or just say hi, this story was good/bad. Please review!**


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer - If you really want to hear me say it, I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Summary: Kagome and Inuyasha get into a fight, which leaves Inuyasha hurt and angry, and Kagome feeling guilty. But before she has the chance to apologize, Inuyasha gets killed in a fight while trying to protect her. Grief-stricken, Kagome returns to her own time, vowing to never return to the feudal era. But only two years later, someone looking exactly like the human Inuyasha shows up at her school. Could it actually be him?**

**AN: I promised it wouldn't take as long to get this chapter up, and it did. I'm so sorry! Please don't kill me. Anyways, here's chapter four. This chapter mostly revolves around Sango and Kagome.**

**I just want to say thank you so much for all the reviews! I love you all!  
**

"Blah" **- Normal Talking**

**_Blah _- Flashback**

_Blah_** - Thoughts**

**Chapter Four.**

_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. This isn't happening, this isn't real. This is just a dream. I'm going to wake up, he'll be right there, looking at me like I'm crazy when I start crying hysterically. This is just a dream, any moment now, he'll say something stupid and I'll sit him. This isn't real. It's just a dream. It's just a dream. It's just a dream. It's just..._

Kagome's tears fell to the ground as she sat with her back against the very tree where she had first seen Inuyasha. _**I'm not Kikyo!**_

_**Hey! You're not Kikyo!**_

_He died for me! After all I said to him, after all I did...he died for me! He shouldn't have died that way, he should've gone down differently. No, he shouldn't even have died, he should still be here! I should be able to hug him, I should be able to laugh while he looks confused when he suddenly runs into a glass door. He can't really be gone._

Kagome's shoulders shook as her body was racked with heart-wrenching sobs. The sounds filled the forest, which was completely silent, as though it respected Kagome's grieving.

Sango approached Kagome, and sat beside her, wrapping the younger girl in a hug. Kagome clung onto her, as her tears came in a downpour. "He really is gone, isn't he? He's not coming back," whispered Kagome through her tears.

At first, Sango did not know how to answer. "Kagome..." She trailed off, unable to offer the comfort Kagome needed.

"I'm so stupid! If I hadn't gone off and insulted him, we would've never left the camp," cried Kagome, burying her face into Sango's shoulder. "We would've expected the demon, I wouldn't have been in trouble, and Inuyasha wouldn't have been..." Kagome broke off, her cries echoing eerily around the two. Kagome calmed down slightly. "Inuyasha wouldn't have been killed," she said, hiccuping.

"Kagome," snapped Sango suddenly. Startled, Kagome looked into the piercing eyes of the other girl. "Listen, it wasn't your fault. If I had been there earlier, then the demon would have already been dead when Inuyasha arrived. Or maybe if I had gone after you, instead of Miroku. Or maybe if Miroku had been more prepared, or if Inuyasha had been closer, or you had gone off in a different direction, the Inuyasha would still be here. There are so many possibilities of what could have happened. It wasn't your fault Kagome, it was all our faults. Even Inuyasha."

"If he was here, he would say you were wrong."

Sango smiled crookedly. "He would," she agreed, knowing all too well that Inuyasha would've said a lot more then just that.

The two girls sat in silence, both bringing back nearly-forgotten memories. Kagome shifted slightly as every instant she had spent with Inuyasha seemed to pop up in her mind. "How are Shippo and Miroku holding up?" she asked finally, wanting to shove the unwelcome memories away.

"They're fine," said Sango. "Physically at least. Losing Inuyasha has been hard on all of us. But we were all worried about you."

Kagome turned away, with her heart feeling like it had been torn in two. "Sango," she mumbled, almost incoherently.

"What is it Kagome?" asked Sango gently.

"I...I think...I'm going to go home."

Sango leaned back, and closed her eyes. She had wished this wasn't going to happen. Pressing a hand against her sweaty forehead, Sango spoke. "That's probably a good idea."

She waited, knowing only too well what Kagome was going to say next, but hoping, with a dismal hope that barely existed, that she wouldn't say it.

"I..." Kagome bit her lip, as a few loose teardrops rolled down her cheeks. "I'm not coming back."

It seemed as if time itself had frozen at Kagome's words. Neither girl made a movement. No breeze tickled the leaves that clung to the surrounding branches. No birds took flight with their throaty calls. No shouts from the nearby village was heard. There was nothing.

It remained this way for what seemed to Kagome to be an eternity. Her head was throbbing as a distinctly painfully headache arrived full force. Her eyes were blinded by the tears that no longer fell. Her heart seemed to be pounding hard enough to split a diamond. Still, there was no sound.

Kagome welcomed this, though she dreaded the moment when Sango finally did speak. Usually, Kagome loved sound. Loved the reassurance that her friends were alive, and well enough to argue playfully with one another. She loved the creepy noises she heard from strange creatures that prowled the night. But today, she met the silence with relief.

Her thoughts traveled back, to when she had first fallen into the well. If she had known what would become of her adventures, would she have continued? Would she have not gone near the well? What would she have done?

_What would I have done? If I hadn't met Inuyasha, he wouldn't have been killed. But if I hadn't been there, wouldn't he still be pinned to the tree?_

Kagome loved Sango, she loved Shippo, she loved Miroku, she loved Kirara, she loved Kaede, she loved the Feudal Era. But without Inuyasha, it just wasn't the same. Nothing here was real. It was just...wrong.

She had known what she needed to do. She couldn't stay here, not without Inuyasha. She would return to her own time, where she really belonged. She never come back. And with a feeling of blunt satisfaction, and overwhelming grief, she made a vow out loud so the forest and all its creatures could hear. She would never come with Inuyasha gone.

"I hope you're happy, Kagome." Sango's quiet voice shattered the stormy silence. "That's what I want for you, to be happy."

Kagome faced Sango, with a new look on her face. The old Kagome determination was there, but the grief remained in her eyes. "I'm never going to be as happy as I was, Sango. Not ever. But...this place, this _time_ reminds me too much of Inuyasha. It'll be better back in my time."

Sango stood, and brushed herself off. "You don't call your time home," she observed sadly.

"No," replied Kagome stiffly. "My time is not my home. It is where my family is, where some of my friends are, but it is not my home."

"Kagome," said Sango softly, stepping forwards and placing her hand on the girl's slim shoulders. "Why do you return to a place you do not consider home?"

"Because..." Kagome looked down at the ground, unable to face Sango's piercing gaze. "Because there I will be able to forget. The pain will always be there like the dull ache of a wound, but...I'll be able to forget most of it."

"You want to forget us?"

"No!" said Kagome sharply. "I don't. But if I remember, I think..." she moved away from Sango, whose hand dropped to her side. "I think I would kill myself."

Sango's startled gasp sounded out from behind her. "Why?"

"Because this is my home, Sango," whispered Kagome, tears once more welling up in her eyes. "This is my home, and I love it here. But without everyone, I'm miserable. And I can't go on."

She whirled around, the sobs escaping from her lips. "I'm going back!" she screamed. "And I'm never returning here! Ever!" Kagome shook in a furious rage, her hands clenched into fists. And then, as suddenly as it had come, the anger melted away, and Kagome sank to the ground. "I'm never coming back," she repeated dully. "Ever."

As the two girls sat in a comforting embrace, the forest remained silent.

xxxxx

**Heh heh. This is more of an angsty chapter then a hurt/comfort, but...oh well.**

**You know what I'm going to say. Please review!  
**


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer - If I said I didn't own Inuyasha in the last chapter, then I can promise you that I don't own Inuyasha in this one. **

**AN: Yes! I got this chapter up before a month passed! *dances excitedly* Ha ha! Is this like a record for me or something? But down to serious business, this chapter might have a slightly different feel then the others, since it is now set in modern times. I hope you like it just as much as you liked the others! And thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! I look forward receiving them so it's a pleasure to read what you think so far. **

**EDIT: This chapter was revised on August 10th. Technically, it was _finished_ being revised on the 10th, since in reality this took me several days (mostly because I was: a) too lazy to sit down and write it all at once and b) too distracted to sit down and write it all at once.) Much like the first chapter, it did more than double. From a little over 3000, to almost 7000. :) I'm quite happy with how it is right now. All I have to do is go back and do chapter 4 now! *grumble grumble*  
**

_Blah_ **Kagome's Thoughts/Dream**

**Chapter Five.**

The ticking of the clock was endless.

_tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock_

It droned on - never having a beginning, never having an ending.

_tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock_

It should have been a source of anxiety and pain to the girl who lay half-asleep on her bed, exhausted both mentally and physically after a full night studying.

_tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock_

But it wasn't. Instead of being something that represented endless time, Kagome viewed it as a consistent companion.

_tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock_

It was the only reliable thing in her mind. Time never stopped for anything, it went on, leaving behind broken hearts and dreams. It never slowed, never faltered.

_tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock_

Kagome's heavy-lidded eyes drooped shut and she was swept off into dreamland.

_two years two years two years two years_

Had it really been two years already? Two full years since she had last left the Feudal Era. Two years since she had hugged little Shippo, cuddled with tiny Kirara, chatted with friendly Sango, and joked with lecherous Miroku. Two years since she had hugged or teased or laughed at Inuyasha.

Two years since Inuyasha had died, and she had gone through the well for the last time.

Kagome felt empty, hollow. She had returned to her own time to forget everything that had happened. She had come back hoping that her time in the Feudal Era would fade into a dream once dreamed. When she had first returned, it had been unbearable. Everywhere she turned, there would be something that reminded her of the place she had come to consider home. She would see something that made her think of her friends, made her think of him.

It dwindled at an agonizingly slow pace, but she came to feel normal again. Like she used to be, before it all happened.

Still, though, the dreams of the Feudal Era and her old friends came far too often for comfort. Every night she would fall asleep, sometimes hoping for a glimpse of her old life, sometimes praying that she would have a dreamless sleep.

The dreams were strange, varying from clear memories to vague nightmares. Sometimes she would see her friends getting killed by vicious demons, or from the hands of humans. Naraku would often appear, his face shadowed by darkness. All the people she knew often wandered the plains of her imagination. She treasured the moments when she would experience once again a picnic or game with her friends, but dreaded the times when she would view a precious person fall in a pool of their own blood.

It was often an odd experience, falling asleep in her warm, comfy bed and waking up in the harsh but familiar Feudal Era. It was something Kagome had to grow accustomed to, much like falling into the well and popping out in an entire different world.

_She was running down a dirt road, grass growing sporadically along the way. Greenery was lush along both sides, though it blurred in her vision as she raced along the pathway. Distantly, she could make out fuzzy shapes that were moving steadily in the same direction as she. Even though she could not clearly see them, she knew immediately who they were. "Hey, guys!" she called out eagerly, waving her hand wildly as a huge smile split her face._

_Slowly, they turned, their faces still hard to make out though she could easily pick out one from the other. "Hi, Kagome!" they chorused. _

_Shippo ran to her, leaping into her arms as he called out her name. She returned the forceful hug happily, squeezing the small fox demon. _

_"You're late!" snorted Inuyasha indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest as he eyed Kagome disapprovingly. _

_"We almost couldn't stop him from going to get you," Sango informed Kagome. "It's good you came now, because we had a mutual agreement to let him go for you tomorrow if you didn't show."_

_"But we're glad your safe and looking as pretty as ever," said Miroku, smiling. The familiar lecherous glint in his eyes betrayed the seemingly innocent picture and comment. _

_Kagome's smile widened as she moved towards the half-demon. "It's okay," she said warmly, giving a startled Inuyasha a large hug. She lay her head on his chest and released a content sigh, though he had not responded to the gesture. "I wouldn't have minded."_

_"What are you talking about!" demanded Inuyasha, nonplussed. "You usually hate it when I come to get you." He gripped her shoulders and drew her away from him so he could peer into her face. "Are you feeling okay?"_

_"I'm fine," said Kagome, moving a couple of steps back, not taking her eyes off him. "I just wouldn't have minded this time."_

Kagome released a small sigh as she turned over in her sleep. She frowned slightly as she curled herself into a ball, mumbling nonsensical words as her dream continued.

_"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Inuyasha as the two sat together by a small stream, apart from the rest of the group. Kagome simply nodded, not bothering to respond as she chucked a stone into the water. "I don't believe you," said Inuyasha, being surprisingly perceptive as he sensed Kagome's inner turmoil. "What's wrong?"_

_Kagome was silent a moment, but she answered as she drew her legs up to her chest, arms around her legs, eyes staring straight ahead. "Inuyasha, are...are you ever - ever going to leave? I mean, after we defeat Naraku and gather all the jewel shards and everything...are you - going to just...well, leave?" _

_"Why would I?" _

_Kagome glanced over, noting that he looked genuinely confused. "Would you leave me?" she prompted. "For...for Kikyo?" _

_Inuyasha started slightly, his gaze flickering to Kagome's blank face. "Kagome," he began, "I'll always protect you. I'll always be there for you. And I won't leave you, not if you need me. I mean it, okay? I can't stop loving Kikyo...I'll never be able to stop loving her, but..."_

_"But you wouldn't stop loving me either, right?"_

_Kagome felt his hand on her cheek, turning her face to him so he could look deep into her eyes with his intense gold orbs. "I promise, Kagome," he said harshly, though is voice was barely more than a whisper. "I promise, I'll protect you with everything I have, and if something happens or if I leave...I'll find a way back. I swear."_

_**Bring! **_The super loud, super annoying, far-too-close-to-my-ears-for-comfort alarm clock went off, the piercing noise breaking through the still, crisp morning. With an unearthly shriek that would've made any horror actress feel ashamed of herself, Kagome leaped up, got her legs tangled in the sheets, and tumbled out of her bed and with a painful sounding _thump!_...landed directly on the hard floor, face first.

"Oww," moaned Kagome miserably as she sat up, gingerly rubbing her backside with one hand while the other clutched her red, aching nose.

"Kagome!" called Mrs. Higurashi, banging open the door as she bowled into the room. "Are you alright? It sounded like you fell!"

"Mother! I'm fine!"

"Hey, Kagome!" said Souta as he stuck his head through the bedroom door, Gramps not far behind. "Are you dead?"

"Get out of here!" shrieked Kagome, jumping to her feet and grabbing a pillow. "I could have been undressed!" She threw the pillow at the doorway but it was already shut by the time it reached its target.

And so, with a swelling red nose, a headache that felt like cannon balls were being shot in her head, a fawning mother, a when-I-was-a-boy Gramps, a teasing brother, and an extremely bad mood, a new day had begun for sixteen-year-old Kagome Higurashi. The girl who really really _really_ wished that she was still in bed.

* * *

Kagome trudged down the sidewalk in complete silence. Her shoulders were slumped and her head bowed, giving her the appearance of someone who dearly wished they were invisible. To the people who passed her, she appeared like an average high school girl, who probably just broke up with her boyfriend or a just got bad results on a major quiz.

These thoughts often crossed her mind, and she liked to consider them a big understatement. When she had been going to the Feudal Era often, she liked to imagine what other people would think of her if they ever found out where she had been. She would often giggle internally (and sometimes out loud, leaving people to eye her strangely and cautiously) at the thought, and the thoughts of how people never knew where she had been, or how special it was that she could go there, gave her great pleasure.

The past couple of years were different though. She frequently wished that she had never visited the Feudal Era, and she bitterly regarded her oblivious friends who had no clue what she had gone through. There had been a time when she had completely cut herself off from her peers, feeling that they just wouldn't understand, and knowing in her heart that they really didn't. It was a difficult time as she excluded herself from activities of all sorts and pushed away her family as well. The worst time had been when her mother had tried talking to her and had quoted, "It is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all." The resulting outburst from Kagome had left both in tears and Kagome had estranged herself from the whole world for almost an entire week, refusing to even leave her room.

She had recovered from this time, though she could always feel that aching sense of loss in her chest.

Today, however, her thoughts were drawn to the dream she had the night before. With all the chaos and hectic racing around earlier that morning, Kagome hadn't had any time to ponder the dream, and indeed had nearly forgotten it. But now, alone and blocking out the sounds around her, the memories of the dream came flooding back to her.

It was a curious dream compared to the ones she usually had. Normally, when they were visions of her talking with her friends, it was a memory, or a conversation very similar to one she had already had. She'd dreamed of many private talks with Inuyasha before, but never quite like that one. Usually, their talks were simple and normal, arguing over past events of the day, mutually complaining over annoying travelers they had stumbled on, wondering about what happen the next day...often Kagome would scold Inuyasha for something inane while he sulked, and other times they would chat over meaningless subjects. Sometimes they just sat in a companionable silence.

But never had their conversation drifted to Kikyo. In real life she was not often mentioned and the habit transferred into Kagome's dreams. Kikyo was often a forbidden subject, and it rarely crossed Kagome's mind to even think about bringing her up. Never before during her dreams had Kagome asked Inuyasha anything even remotely close to what she said last night. So where in the world had this dream sprouted from? Perhaps it was a sort of replay of some past talk she'd had with the now passed half-demon.

_But he had never really promised that he would always protect me,_ thought Kagome grudgingly. _And while he never actually really picked Kikyo over me, it always seemed like he...like he cared for her that much more. _

It didn't make any sense, really. It had always been a secret hope that - if it ever came down to it - Inuyasha actually _would_ pick her over the dead priestess, but she had never allowed herself the pleasure of imagining that this wish would - and could - really come true.

_So why did I dream that? _wondered Kagome miserably as she crossed the sidewalk, her school coming into view. _Was it just something that I wanted to have happen, so I just dreamed it? After all, he chose me - though it was completely clear - over Kikyo, in a strange way. He promised he'd protect me no matter what. Was it just a deep wish of mine, or something else?_

_Was_ it something else? Kagome couldn't be sure as she neatly avoided crashing into a harried student. A sudden thought crossed her mind, and she stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. _He...he said in my dream that he would find a way back if he ever left me - he swore that he would find a way back...could that possibly mean...? _Kagome roughly shook her head, jerking it from side to side harshly enough that she heard a small crack in her neck. She began scolding herself as she began walking furiously towards the school building. _Just shut up, Kagome! He's dead, okay? There's absolutely no possible way he is ever coming back, or could ever come back. So shut up and start thinking about that test you have today that you're not really that prepared for! Remember that Henry VIII of England had five wives, okay? No, wait...was it six wives? Seven?_

As Kagome briskly walked to her classroomm wracking her brain trying to recall if Henry VIII of England had five, six, or seven wives, she was easily able to push the dream completely out of her mind.

* * *

"I failed. I know I did."

"Now, Kagome," said Eri, her voice eerily resembling Mrs. Higurashi's as she turned around in her desk so she was facing Kagome. "you're just overreacting. I'm sure you did just fine. The history test was quite hard for all of us, but you studied, didn't you?"

"I did horribly!" groaned Kagome, slumping down in her chair so her head was practically level with the desktop. "I mean, I checked my books at lunch and discovered I wrote all the wrong things down! I mean, I wrote down Pitcan, instead of Pitcairn because I couldn't think of anything else! And for the ship? I just remembered it started with b, so I wrote down the Beauty. I mean, honestly! What was I thinking?"

"Well, you obviously weren't thinking," said Eri unhelpfully. "It's okay, Kagome. I totally flunked math. I don't think I did a single problem right!"

"But I failed history!" wailed Kagome, sitting up to face her friend. "I studied all night, and I still failed. I'll never make it into college." Kagome miserably lay her arms on the desk in the form of a cradle and dropped her head down onto. "I'm going to end up being the girl who fails high school and ends up marrying a garbage man whilst doing laundry for her old high school rival."

"That's not going to happen," Eri said comfortingly. "I mean, you don't have a high school rival!"

"Thanks, Eri, that makes me feel a lot better."

"Well, it's true! You know, unless you're interested in getting a major in history, this doesn't really-"

"Hey, guys!" Yuka called, cutting Eri off as she raced over. "Did you hear? I just found out! We have a new kid coming to school!"

"A new kid?" parroted Eri interestedly, jumping at the chance for new gossip. "Is it a boy? Why's he coming here in the middle of school? Where's he from?"

"He's a transfer," Ayumi informed them as she joined the three. "I don't think they mentioned where he was from, but apparently he's pretty smart. I think his mother got transferred in her job or something."

"It _is_ a boy!" squealed Eri excitedly. "I wonder if he's cute. Ooh, I can't wait to meet him!"

"What do you think, Kagome?" said Yuka. "Maybe he'll be your type, cute, funny, has some issues, but still sweet."

"Yeah, maybe he'll be good enough to replace that old boyfriend of yours who dumped you."

"He could be even cuter than Hojo!" Yuka giggled madly at her own statement, already imagining the new kids face in her head.

"Thanks, but no thanks guys," said Kagome, standing up and stretching slightly. "I'll just go home and depress myself by thinking of my ruined future now that I'm failing high school. I'll see you guys later." With a half-hearted wave to her friends, Kagome trudged towards the exit feeling significantly more depressed than she had earlier that day.

* * *

Kagome couldn't remember how she came to stand here, barely even remembering the walk home from school. All she could recall was her thoughts flitting from her failed history test to the dream that she had had the night before. When she once again became aware of her surroundings, she discovered herself standing in front of the well.

_Two years_. It had been two years since Inuyasha's death, two years since she had last set foot in the Feudal Era. She still hadn't gotten over Inuyasha's death - she didn't think she ever would.

Kagome stepped forwards, staring down into the deep pit of the well. The darkness blurred the bottom so she couldn't even tell where it ended, though she knew exactly how far down it was from past experience. Kagome bit her lip as a traitorous voice rang out in her mind. _Jump in. Just go and jump in. _

It certainly wasn't the first time the nasty little voice had urged Kagome to give into her temptations and just leap carelessly into the well and return to the Feudal Era. It was why Kagome rarely visited the well - she knew that one day she wouldn't be strong enough to say no.

She wondered how things were going on there. It was impossible not to be curious about how the lives of her old companions were going. Several times she thought about Kikyo, wondering how the dead priestess was doing, and what the heck she was doing. Was she still wandering the earth? Did she still love Inuyasha? Was she searching for him, not knowing he was dead, or was she grieving for him, the love she had lost. Or perhaps, she had finally left the world she no longer belonged to.

And what about Sango and Miroku? Had they married and made a family together? Or there was a chance that they had split up after their group fell apart, Sango returning to rebuild her demon slayer village, Miroku falling back to his familiar lecherous and manipulative ways. Was Sango still grieving over Kohaku? Had Kaede finally given into old age? Was there a new priestess?

And Shippo! Dear, dear Shippo, who had no parents. Was he all alone now, or did he stay with Sango and Miroku? Was he doing okay? Was he growing up to be a fine, strong young fox demon? Was his fox magic better? Did he...did he miss her?

Did they even remember her? Did they remember Inuyasha? Could they recall the fond memories they had together, all those times they had spent as one group? Were they happy now, or did they miss her as much as she missed them. Did they wish they could jump into the well and come see her as often as she was tempted to do the same?

Kagome's lips twisted into a wistful smile, the expression on her face a mixture of bitterness and grief. She turned her body away from the well, almost as a sign of rejection, but one hand was left behind, lovingly draped over the edge so it sat just within the body of the well.

_You could still go back, Kagome_, her inner voice whispered to her. _If you just dropped yourself over that edge, you could go and see them, find out how they are. You could see Miroku again, you could give Sango a hug, see if the two of them really have married. You could see Shippo and Kaede. Maybe you guys could go on another adventure. You might even run into Kouga and his friends. Maybe even Sesshomaru, Rin, Jaken. _

_Shut up! _Kagome told herself furiously, choking back the sobs that suddenly welled up in her throat. She could feel her heart beating frantically, like something imprisoned that's struggling to rip free from its restraints. _Just shut up! I swore I would never go back! And I won't! I won't ever go back there without Inuyasha! He's dead, remember? He died because of you! They've all forgotten me now! I'm never ever going to go back! That's what I told Sango, that's what I vowed in the forest with Sango there as a witness. It's what I promised myself. I'm never going back!_

With a scream of despair, Kagome fell down in front of the well, her back pressed into the side, her face buried into her hands as her cries died away into silent sobs. She spilled her grief through the tears that cascaded down her cheeks, she rocked back and forth in the fetal position, her vulnerable heart feeling broken beyond repair.

"Why can't I forget?" she asked to the silent air. "Why can't I just forget that place! I left so that I wouldn't have to remember Inuyasha and the others! I left so I could forget Sango! Forget Shippo and Miroku! Forget Koga, Kaede, and everyone else! Forget all about the jewel shards and Naraku. I left so I wouldn't have to be faced with Inuyasha every day of my life!" Her voice was rising angrily as she snapped her head up, glaring furiously at nothing. Her voice was becoming more high-pitched and louder as she passionately yelled at empty space. "I still remember all of it! Why can't I just forget? Please, whoever is listening, I don't care who, just let me forget! Let me forget all of them! _Please_! I just want to be happy for once in my life! Is that really too much to ask? To be happy? To not have the memories that give me so much pain? Why do I have them? Is it because I'm Kikyo's reincarnation, and she's destined to live out the rest of her days unhappy? Did I lose Inuyasha because she did?"

Suddenly exhausted, Kagome drooped her head down so her bangs fell into her face, shadowing her eyes. "Let me forget," she said quietly. "Or let me have it all back. Please."

* * *

"Good morning, Kagome!" exclaimed Eri cheerfully as Kagome sat down behind her. "How are you feeling today? Still depressed?"

"No, I'm much better," replied Kagome, cracking her neck as she adjusted herself in her seat. After her breakdown by the well, Kagome had managed to pull herself together, blocking out all unpleasant thoughts. She'd spent the entire night studying her textbooks despite the fact that all their quizzes were over. She had had a dreamless sleep for the first time in what felt like years, and had woken up feeling refreshed and ready to face the new day. Oddly enough, she had a curious feeling in the pit of her stomach that had been there from the moment she woke up. Not certain what it was, she'd passed it off as an after-effect of the disgusting dinner her mother had served the night before.

"That's good, because the new boy's coming today. You have to be at the top of your game to get him interested in you. And if he's not your type, I've already called dibs."

"C'mon, Eri!" said Kagome, exasperated by her friend's annoying (but quite normal) behavior. "Why do you have to take so much interest in my love life? If you want to date him, and you called dibs before me, you date him before I do!"

"But you've always had such interesting love lifes!" said Eri sensibly. "And I've felt quite bored these past two years ever since you were dumped by your old boyfriend. The most exciting thing that's happened is last year when that boy asked you to the dance and you rejected him so utterly that he started crying, which made you feel bad, and you tried to soften the blow, but then his big sister came and -"

"Okay!" interrupted Kagome quickly. "I get it...but you enjoyed yourself when Ayumi got her boyfriend."

"...true," admitted Eri. "But you're still more fun."

Kagome scolded herself thoroughly for not being able to find a hole in Eri's somewhat logical reasoning. Ayumi - despite being the only one of the four who currently had a boyfriend - led a fairly boring love life.

"Class, please settle down!" The teacher's voice broke through the students' conversation and all the kids immediately returned to their seats. "I'm sure you've heard, but we have a new transfer student with us today. Please come in!"

Eri was muttering to herself, and Kagome only heard the door open and close, and the girl next to her say, "Wow, he's really cute," before turning her head to set her eyes on the boy.

She froze. She felt like a demon had punched her in the gut. Her breath was knocked out of her and her mind shut down. She couldn't move, couldn't hear, couldn't even breathe. She stared in disbelief. She could hear blood rushing through her ears and the murmurings of her peers faded into a dull humming noise.

Because there, standing in her classroom, alive, walking, breathing, and looking so adorably handsome stood him...

"_Inuyasha_?" Kagome didn't realize she had spoken out loud at first, her voice no more than a broken whisper.

Because it _was_ Inuyasha. The boy was identical to him in practically every way. The last new moon before Inuyasha had been killed flashed into Kagome's mind. He was like a clone, they were so alike. It was Inuyasha in his human form. The minor differences made practically no change whatsoever. His hair was still so utterly black and silky, though it was shorter, cut into the popular fashion of high school boys. His clothes were wrinkled and messy, but he stood up straight, carrying himself like Inuyasha always had. The same deep eyes that switched between chocolate brown and indigo. The same crackling, flaming energy that radiated itself from his body...the same face, the same expression, the same height, the same stature...it was him! It was really him! There was no one else he could be other than Inuyasha!

_It's really him_, thought Kagome, dazed. _But how...?_

"Class, this is Katashi Fukuda. He's never been in this city before, so please make him feel welcome. Mr. Fukuda, there's an empty seat right there."

With wide eyes, Kagome followed the teacher's finger to the seat only four away from hers. Her breath hitched as her gaze snapped back to Inuyasha, sitting as still as a frozen statue as he walked down the aisle to the desk. He sat down, his eyes roving over the classroom, taking in the different faces. His eyes landed on her and she trembled violently as that familiar stare settled onto her face. But he gave no hint of recognition and moved his gaze onward, before turning to the front of the classroom as the teacher began his lesson.

Her breath was caught on her lips as she too returned her attention the the front. She could see Yuka from the corner of her eye, flashing a bright grin in her direction accompanied by a thumbs up. She was obviously suppressing an outburst of insane giggles. And Kagome found that for once, she didn't mind Yuka's rather annoying behavior. For two years she had been miserable, agonizing over the death of her closest friend - a boy that she loved. She had been depressed because the image of his blood-stained body would not leave her mind. And now - now, after all this time, he was sitting just four seats away, cool and composed, seeming so different than Inuyasha, but so alike that it was uncanny and heartwarming at the same time. Just looking at him made the long-forgotten tears of joy well up in Kagome's eyes. Three tears managed to escape from her eyelids, sliding down her cheek leaving a trail of salty water behind.

"Miss Higurashi," said her teacher, sounding concerned as he caught her attention. "Are you alright?"

Oh god, his eyes were on her, he was staring at her. The familiar burn of happiness in her chest seared through her mind, leaving her shaking and breathless. Those deep brown orbs were staring right at her. "I'm fine, sir," she managed to say. "I'm sorry, I just got something caught in my eye. That's all."

The teacher accepted her answer and turned away, taking his gaze with him. But the warm feeling remained. She didn't know why, didn't know how, couldn't possibly even begin to understand how this was even possible, but it didn't matter, because he was right there, just four seats away. He was back...he was alive.

* * *

Kagome rushed out of the school building, frantically searching for the lithe figure that represented everything she had lost. For a moment of breathless terror, she thought that she had missed him, but then she caught sight of the familiar dark eyes and latched onto the retreading figure like it was a beacon of light amidst a tempestuous ocean. "Hey, wait!" she shouted, practically flying over to the boy. "Please, wait!"

Inuyasha paused, wavering in between stopping and continuing forward. He hesitantly turned his head back, not certain if he was being called or not. He caught sight of her immediately - the two of them being among the first to leave - and looked at her quizzically as she ran towards him. "Higurashi?" he said, looking puzzled.

The look in his eyes changed to surprise when it became obvious that she wasn't going to stop. He opened his mouth, took an instinctive step back, and barely had time to brace himself before Kagome had reached him and flung herself towards him, arms wrapped around his neck, tightening him into a crushing hug. "Inuyasha!" she cried, her body shaking as she pressed her face into his shoulder. "Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha jerked back, his hands gripping her shoulders to push himself out of her encircling arms. He looked bewildered and bemused - as well as a little alarmed - and he was eying her uncertainly, as though not quite certain about her mental health. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, releasing her shoulders and taking a good two steps away. "But - I'm not...what did you call me?"

"Inuyasha! You're Inuyasha! I-I can't believe it, but you are! And you know me! It's just me, Kagome!" Her face was alight with happiness, tears of joy and relief brimming in her eyes as she beamed at him.

"Inuyasha?" he repeated, looking confused. "I-I don't know what you're talking about. My name's not Inuyasha, it's Katashi."

It was amazing how that single sentence could suck the pure happiness Kagome had been feeling right out of her. In an instant, the bright anticipation and burning desire to see this boy was suddenly drained away with the realization that he was - that he was...that he was _serious_. Replacing the glowing joy she'd been feeling from the moment she set eyes on him, was a familiar but hated coldness. Her mind froze in speechless denial. "Inuyasha, don't you remember me?" Her hands clenched into fists, her eyes staring directly into his wary ones. She spoke with quiet determination that didn't quite overlap the horror in her voice. "I'm Kagome! Remember? From two years ago? You met me at the tree...we traveled together, with a group. You have to remember Sango - and Miroku and Shippo!" Her gaze roved over his face, searching desperately for a flicker of recognition. "You have to remember!"

But he was shaking his head slowly. "I'm sorry, Kagome," he said softly, "but you have the wrong person. I just met you today, and I've never met anyone named Sango or Miroku or Shippo."

"What about Kikyo? Surely you remember Kikyo!" Kagome resorted to the name as a last stand, knowing that if he couldn't even recognize her name...she didn't know what would happen - because he _was_ Inuyasha...he had to be. The dark coldness seemed to be growing to an icy blackness as she waited anxiously for his reply.

His face remained blank, except for the sympathetic expression that seeped from behind his mask. "You've mistaken me for someone else, Higurashi." His face softened as he looked at her, easily able to tell that this was a hard blow. "I'm sorry," he said again, taking another step back, obviously ready to leave this behind him.

"_No_!" Kagome gasped instantly. "It's you, I know it's you! Please - _please_ try to remember! You have to! You honestly don't remember anything? Don't you even remember Sesshomaru, or Koga? What about Kaede, and Kirara! Inuyasha, _please_! You _have_ to remember!"

Katashi backed away, his hands coming up in a placating position though the look in his eyes was anything but. He looked slightly freaked out by her panicked tone. "I'm sorry!" he said once more, gently, but firmly, the dangerous glint in his eyes warning her to back off. He clearly intended to end the conversation right then. "I don't know you, and I don't know anyone you're naming. My name is Katashi, alright? I'm not this Inuyasha person you seem to think I am. Just...please just leave me alone, okay?

He didn't wait for a reply, opting instead to swiftly turn on his heal and stride away - rather quickly, Kagome noted through her fogged daze - and did not glance back once, his steps never wavering.

Kagome stood alone, barely aware of the students that were beginning to pour out of the school. She stood alone by the entrance, a broken look on her face and a shattered heart in her chest. Every ounce of happiness had just been zapped out of her, leaving her with an empty feeling. She continued watching Inuyasha - _Katashi_ - walk away, not taking her eyes off his back until he turned a corner.

It was him, she had been sure of it. Everything fit, the personality, the looks, the very way he carried himself...everything pointed to Inuyasha, except for the boy himself.

She hesitated, now uncertain of the boy who had vanished from sight. She began walking forwards grudgingly, the thought that the boy really was Katashi Fukuda entering her mind, leaving her to wonder if she'd just made an idiot of herself in front of a new classmate who happened to look uncannily like her deceased best friend.

But there was the other part that would not let go of the feeling she'd had when he'd entered that classroom. A part of her that had no doubt that that boy - despite his protests - really was the half-demon.

All she had to do now, was figure out if that was true...and what had happened to him to make him come back alive and forget everything he knew.

* * *

**I'm very proud of this chapter, which is the longest one so far (if you care). It's my favorite so far. Um, just a few clarifications for you guys. **

**First, during the history part where Kagome is talking about how she failed her test, she is referring to the island Pitcairn and the _Bounty_****. Also, I don't know much about Japanese schooling other than what I've seen off various animes or read in various stories so if I'm totally off, please tell me. **

******It took me forever to think of what Inuyasha' new name should be. I browsed through several different names but I couldn't find one that suited him very well. I mean, he's _Inuyasha_, and that's the most perfect name he could have. But I finally decided on Katashi, which is a name meaning 'firmness,' which I figured fits Inuyasha...sort of. I hope that's okay since I was not sure if I should call him that.**

******If you need anything else for me to "make clear" for you, just ask and I'll tell (unless it's a spoiler for some future amazing upcoming scene...if it is, too bad! You just have to wait and find out. Mwahahaha!) **

******^_^' If I haven't frightened you off, please review!  
**


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer - Some Japanese guy with a name I can't remember owns InuYasha.  
**

**Summary: Kagome and Inuyasha get into a fight, which leaves Inuyasha hurt and angry, and Kagome feeling guilty. But before she has the chance to apologize, Inuyasha gets killed in a fight while trying to protect her. Grief-stricken, Kagome returns to her own time, vowing to never return to the feudal era. But only two years later, someone looking exactly like the human Inuyasha shows up at her school. Could it actually be him?**

**AN: I was having trouble getting this chapter written out, so the update was a lot longer then I want it to be. So sorry! A couple of the reviewers remarked how Kagome was acting kind of stupid for expecting Inuyasha to remember everything. In this chapter, Kagome's thoughts will be more rational, though I can hardly say anything about her actions! This chapter will be divided into two parts. The first part will be in Kagome's POV, and the second half will be in Katashi's POV. Where the POV's change is completely obvious. You also get to find out more about Katashi and who he is as a civilian. WARNING: This chapter will be rather slow.  
**

**Thank you for the all the reviews guys! I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
**

_Italics_ - **Kagome's Thoughts**

**Chapter Six.**

Kagome sat on her bed, fingering a cap as she looked out of her window. The full moon was shining bright, leaving her with enough light to clearly see the cap she was holding. The cap Inuyasha used to wear.

Inuyasha. He was alive. Two years he had been thought dead, and now he was alive.

Kagome frowned down at the cap. As much as she didn't want to admit it, it didn't make any sense. Inuyasha had been killed. She had seen him get stabbed. She had seen him get buried by the Great Tree where she first met Inuyasha.

Then why was he suddenly alive? Was he a reincarnation? That would explain why he couldn't remember who she was. She certainly didn't know who he was when she first met him, and he and Kikyo had nearly gotten married!

Kagome sighed, and flopped back, resting her head on her pillow.

She was feeling confused and overwhelmed with this sudden turn of events. She had spent the last two years trying to rid herself of the pain Inuyasha's death caused her. She had willed herself to forget about Miroku, Sango, and Shippo. And now the entire world she had created for herself had just come crashing down around her.

It had been nine days since she met the new Inuyasha. Ever since the uncomfortable confrontation between the two of them, Katashi had been insistently avoiding her. When they did happen to run into each other, or were forced to sit beside one another, they always exchanged awkward glances, before Katashi looked away, embarrassed, and Kagome bent her head, sad.

Kagome would often silently study Katashi, watching his every move, comparing his small quirks to Inuyasha's, memorizing the odd little habits he had, and diving into her memories to see if Inuyasha had done something similar.

It had been nine days since she met him and she was convinced that Katashi had to be Inuyasha, or at least a reincarnation. There was no other possibility. The similarity between the two was mind-baffling.

Kagome admitted to herself that she had become totally infatuated with him. Following Katashi all over school, and ducking out of sight when he turned around. But to just watch him seemed to fill up the empty gap in her heart.

She often caught herself staring at him. Within her mind, the dull and boring classroom walls faded away, and she created vivid images of the gorgeous meadows that she and Inuyasha used to wander together. She would be so caught up in her daydream, that when Inuyasha turned to her with that old and familiar quirked eyebrow, it took her awhile to realize that Katashi was starting to shift nervously in his seat. Blushing profusely, she always immediately turned her attention away from the flustered boy.

Mere moments later, her eyes would trickle back to Katashi's face. Kagome practically drank him in, from his easy-going strolling gait to the sharp hand movements he made when he talked to his new-found friends.

Needless to say, her friends noticed Kagome's rather unhealthy interest in the new kid. Worried with her obsession over him, Yuka and Eri frequently tried to get her to notice some other guys, and Ayumi actually ended up trying to get Katashi interested in one of their classmates in hope that if Katashi was taken, Kagome would forget about him.

It didn't work. Katashi became friends with the girl, but didn't go out with her. Kagome continued to follow him.

So now she lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, feeling absolutely miserable. Over the past nine days she had been acting like those crazy stalkers she heard about on the news. Kagome was starting to become nervous, fearing that she might do something stupid in desperation to get Katashi to notice her.

Kagome tried to understand this drastic change she had undergone. Never before had she dreamed she would be reduced to this, a love-struck girl following a guy who took no interest in her. But after two years of hidden pain, the joy at seeing an Inuyasha-like person had gone to her head, and she had started acting like someone else. She had completely flipped out in her conversation with Katashi, and that led to a very strange relationship between the two.

Luckily, he had yet to notice he had a girl shadowing him. At least, that was what she hoped was true. Kagome groaned as she rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. She had acted like an idiot, and she knew that. _He probably thinks I'm a freak_, thought Kagome, lifting her face slightly from her pillow so she wasn't suffocated. _I mean, if someone jumped me and started rattling off names of people I had never heard of and claimed I was a long-lost friend of theirs, I would probably call of the mental hospital and request an ambulance. _

Kagome frowned and sat up suddenly. She would have to stop acting like a silly school-girl and start behaving like Kagome Higurashi, miko and time-traveler. She would get to the bottom of this, and discover the truth behind Katashi. No matter what.

xxxxx

Katashi Fukuda was a naturally friendly person. He accepted odd people, and respected people's strange views, no matter how different they were. He wasn't easily startled, and liked making friends. His biggest flaw was that he had a short temper. Many of his old friends used to say he was a time bomb. Say the right thing and BOOM!... he explodes.

He never really liked school that much. He was a normal kid who hated homework, disobeyed his parents, and quarreled with his older brother and younger sister constantly. He was handsome, and he knew it. He wasn't the flirt that his older brother was, but he had his own charming personality.

His younger sister Chikako was overly annoying, and frequently got on his nerves. His brother, Shinji, was as much of a pest of Chikako was. The difference between them was he could pick Chikako up and carry her - kicking and screaming - out of his room and drop her ungracefully on the floor. With Shinji, these brawls consisted of flying fists, painful punches, and usually ended with one of them getting knocked out and the other one getting grounded for a week.

Katashi had looked forward to going to a new school, and had thought his classes seemed very interesting. He had met new people and even made a couple of friends.

He had been leaving the school when Kagome Higurashi, the girl he sat behind in class, suddenly pounced on him, going off into a rant about how happy she was to see him and rattling off names he had never heard.

They were strange names, Katashi remembered. She called him Inuyasha, and it was obvious she cared about this unknown person, whoever he was. But honestly, did they look so alike that she would resort to shadowing him all around school?

He had noticed Kagome's unnerving actions. It appeared that the girl was obsessed with him, and the feeling this knowledge gave Katashi was not a comfortable one. He wondered who this Inuyasha person was, and how he was so important to Kagome.

He hated to admit it, but Katashi felt pretty guilty at crushing Kagome that way. The pure happiness that had bounced off of her when she saw him, and the sudden coldness surrounding her when he refused her was obvious. And pretty frightening as well.

For a few minutes, Katashi would wonder if he really was this Inuyasha Kagome had told him he was. After all, he did often have nightmares of fights, and swords, and strange creatures attacking him. Perhaps there was a possibilty that he was...

No! Shaking his head, Katashi reminded himself that he had lived his entire life with his mother, father, and siblings, and he wasn't Inuyasha.

But still there was doubt eating away at the edges of his mind.

xxxxx

**Good news everybody! The real plot line of this story is starting to come into action next chapter! Another warning is that my update will probably take awhile. I'm really sorry, but I've been abandoning some of my other stories, and I really have to get them updated.**

**I know this chapter was pretty slow, but please tell me what you thought! Please review!  
**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer - Do I look Japanese to you? No, I don't, so I'm pretty sure it's obvious I don't own InuYasha.**

**Summary: Kagome and Inuyasha get into a fight, which leaves Inuyasha hurt and angry, and Kagome feeling guilty. But before she has the chance to apologize, Inuyasha gets killed in a fight while trying to protect her. Grief-stricken, Kagome returns to her own time, vowing to never return to the feudal era. But only two years later, someone looking exactly like the human Inuyasha shows up at her school. Could it actually be him?**

**AN: I know, I know, it's been a while since my last update! I'm sorry. My mom recently had a major brain surgery, and I've been kind of busy, but I'm hoping my updates won't take as long. Sorry to keep you all waiting! In the last chapter, I was trying to introduce Katashi's character a little more, and give you some insight to his family life. And I promise, Kagome should be acting more like herself in this chapter (I hope!)**

**By the way, since my mother hasn't recovered yet, this chapter hasn't been edited (my mom is my personal editor). So if there are any glaring mistakes, please tell me and I'll fix it as soon as possible!  
**

**Chapter Seven.  
**

They were sitting exactly three seats away from each other. Neither one was looking at the other, and each one was thankful for this.

One month had passed since Katashi Fukuda entered school, and after Kagome's crazy stalker period had died away, he had acknowledged her existence. Beyond that, there was no relationship between them.

Kagome was staring blankly at the teacher, pretending to absorb the boring facts of mathematics that he was droning on about. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell that her friends were eagerly chatting. Her ears picked up the sound of Katashi's voice, along with some of his friends.

"Four pages!" one of the boys, Gorou, was saying. "I don't even know anything about that period of time! Wanna switch?"

"Oh no, there is absolutely no way you'll get me to write that paper for you."

"You should go to the library across from the market," Katashi suggested, his brown eyes twinkling mischievously. "It doesn't have a sign, but it has great books."

One of the other boys, Hiro, snickered loudly at this. But Gorou didn't notice the twinkle or the snicker, and was agreeing excitedly. "Alright, I will!"

Kagome grinned in amusement at the trick. The place across from the market-place with no sign was the home of an extremely grumpy old man who had at one point - at least, according to her parents - been a master chef, but retired after some freak accident. He didn't like kids very much, and always walked around with a broom. Well, that's what the rumors were anyway. Very few people knew of the place, but those who did always took advantage of them.

Kagome shook her head, wondering slightly how Katashi, who had only moved here a couple of months ago, knew about the place.

"Kagome! Earth to Kagome!"

"Huh?" Kagome swung around, startled at the sudden intrusion of her thoughts.

Eri was frowning at her, her had drawing back from where it had been waving in front of Kagome's face. "What's wrong with you?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing. "You're still obsessing over that Fukuda boy."

"I am not obsessing!" insisted Kagome, though her reddening cheeks said otherwise. "I'm simply...listening to a very...interesting conversation!"

Her friends quite obviously did not believe her.

"What is with you and that boy anyway?" asked Yuka a little too loudly. "You've never been this hung up on a boy you haven't known for very long before."

"Yeah, Kagome, what's different about Katashi?" Ayumi looked genuinely curious.

"It's just...he reminds me of Inuyasha, that's all."

"Inuyasha?" repeated Eri, perking up a bit. "That delinquent boyfriend who dumped you for no reason?"

Kagome ducked her head, muttering under her breath that she had a specific reason but her friends paid no attention. They were studying Katashi thoroughly.

"I do see the resemblance," conceded Yuka at last, after comparing Kagome's old boyfriend (who she had met once) and the new boy in her mind.

"Yuka!" exclaimed Ayumi. "If Katashi had white long hair instead of short black ones and his eyes were golden and not brown, they could be identical twins!"

"Oh come on, Ayumi! They don't look that alike!"

"Actually, I have to agree with Ayumi," murmured Eri.

"Thank you," huffed Ayumi, looking slightly miffed.

Eri sat down next to Kagome. "C'mon Kagome," she said softly, patting her friend's shoulder. "You should just forget about both Inuyasha and Katashi. I'm sure that Katashi is nothing like your old boyfriend, so he's nothing to get worked up over."

Kagome remained silent, but she looked over at Katashi out of the corner of her eye. Was it just her, or was his head cocked peculiarly in her direction?

The truth was, Katashi _was_ like Inuyasha in so many ways. After following him around school all day, she had figured that out. He had a short temper, and managed to become insulted by the smallest thing. There were the odd little habits he had, that Kagome had come to distinguish as pure Inuyasha. There was the look in his eyes that he got whenever he did something he knew he was going to get in trouble for. The similarity between the two was so unbelievable, that it was impossible for Kagome to believe that Katashi was simply Katashi, and not Inuyasha.

"You probably don't want to talk about it, Kagome, but why did your old boyfriend break up with you?" Yuka was looking rather annoying but very interested as she turned in her seat to get a good look at Kagome.

Kagome shrugged. "He..." she averted her eyes, and once more glanced at Katashi. She would swear on her life that his head was leaning to far in her direction to be natural. "He just broke up with me. No reason whatsoever."

"Well, that's mean," frowned Yuka.

"I know," Ayumi agreed. "Why would he do that?"

"No, it's mean that Kagome would actually expect us to believe that." Yuka glared at Kagome, her brown eyes daring Kagome to say that what she said was the truth.

"I don't want to talk about it guys!" snapped Kagome angrily. Yuka snorted, but she didn't say anymore as she once more sat facing the front. Eri and Ayumi both fell away as well as the teacher called for silence. Class was beginning.

xxxxx

Katashi leaned back in his chair, feeling a trifle smug as Gorou talked about how he would convince his mother to let him get out of the dishes that day so he could go to the 'bookstore.' Sometimes, it really paid to have a little sister who was too adventurous for her own good.

Hiro was also trying to hide his smirk as Gorou continued blabbering away. He and Katashi had really hit it off when they both discovered they were terrible at history and wanted nothing to do with the instruments their parents were trying to force them to play. They were very similar, and Hiro enjoyed showing Katashi around the city.

"What is with you and that boy anyway? You've never been this hung up on a boy you haven't known for very long before." Katashi's attention was gripped by the sound of a girl's voice. He glanced slyly over to where the voice came from. It was the annoying girl with the loud voice, Yuka. She was talking to Kagome Higurashi, and looking rather perturbed.

Ayumi also said something that was too quiet for Katashi to make out.

"It's just...he reminds me of Inuyasha, that's all." Katashi's eyebrow rose, and his ears gave a twitch. Inuyasha? That was who Kagome had mistaken him for!

"Inuyasha?" said Yuka suspiciously. "That delinquent boyfriend who dumped you for no reason?"

Boyfriend? Katashi's brow furrowed. He hadn't been expecting that. Kagome had mistaken him for her long-lost boyfriend who was supposedly a delinquent? Well, that certainly gave his ego a giant boost!

He noticed the girls were studying him in a disturbingly thorough manner.

"Well, I do see the resemblance," said Yuka at last.

"Yuka!" Ayumi called out rather loudly. "If Katashi had white long hair instead of short black ones and his eyes were golden and not brown, they could be identical twins!"

Long white hair? Golden eyes? What type of boyfriend did Kagome have? The conversation had quieted down slightly, but he could tell the girls were still discussing him.

Still, it didn't make much sense. From what he had heard, he looked extremely like this delinquent boyfriend who had broken Kagome's heart for no reason. And yet, when Kagome had seen him, she looked like she was seeing someone who she had thought was dead. What had happened to this Inuyasha person? Had he really dumped her like Kagome claimed? Or was it something different.

An image flashed through Inuyasha's mind. Red clothing, a large sword, white hair, golden eyes. But as soon as it appeared, the image was gone. Katashi shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about it guys!" Kagome ground out angrily. Her friends, seemingly upset, turned away from the girl who had become quite the enigma to Katashi.

As the teacher began class, Katashi continued staring at Kagome. This boyfriend of hers seemed very important to her, and from the way she had been acting, he hadn't just dumped her for no reason.

As Katashi returned to the lesson, he became determined to figure out the riddle that had been unexpectedly presented to him.

xxxxx

**Well, I hope you liked this chapter! Was it worth the wait! Please tell me! (Which means you have to review! Who knows, maybe it will inspire me to update sooner!)  
**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer - Of course I own Inuyasha! I also own a car! And five dogs! And a closet that's filled with clothes right to the top! Psh! I wish. :(**

***enters nervously* *ducks away from the mushy vegetables being thrown at me* Er, has it really been six months? Oops. ^_^' Sorry. I got completely stuck on this chapter. Huge writers block. But no worries, the next chapter is already in process, so the update will be within the month. Er, before February I mean! Promise!  
**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! And also to everyone who added my story to their favorites and their alerts. I love you guys so much!  
**

**Chapter Eight.**

_A scream sounded out just ahead, but was cut off immediately. A thrill of adrenaline rushed through his veins as he raced forward. He grabbed his sword, easily sliding his hand into the familiar place as he drew it. The demon ahead had no chance. He leaped up, feeling the wind rushing past him, bringing his sword down on the creature. But suddenly, his sword was gone, and he was standing before the demon with only his claws. The demon moved, and he saw that there was no moon in the sky. A piece of hair fell into his eyes. It was black. _

_He gasped and turned to run. A figure was in front of him, tall and proud. "You're weak," the figure snarled, stepping out of the light. He had long silver hair, and marks on his face. "You're weak and pathetic, half-breed!" _

_"Half-breed!"_

_"Half-breed!"_

_The word echoed in his ears over and over again. "Half-breed!"_

_"You're just a filthy half-breed," someone growled at him. He couldn't recognize the person, but the words sunk into him like a knife. _

_"You're disgusting." A person spat at him, another kicked him._

_"You're different," a girl with warm brown eyes said softly. She smiled gently. "But I love you anyway." He reached for her, but she suddenly drew a bow and shot an arrow at him. "I hate you!" she shouted._

_He was confused, as the pain he expected from the arrow never appeared. Blood seeped from the wound, but he couldn't feel the agony he expected._

_"Why don't you just leave?" Another person who hated him._

_"What a sorry half-breed," someone else snorted. _

_"What a sorry pet I have too," came another voice. "Not even a pure-breed."_

_And then came the pain, stabbing violently, clawing at his brain, his chest, his heart. "Not even a pure-breed," the voice mocked. "You're disgusting, a horrid disgrace!" "You're weak!" "You don't deserve to be here." "Why are you still alive?" "I hate you!" "I hate you!"_

_"I hate you!" _

_He screamed, clutching at his head as the voices swirled around him, jeering at him, teasing him mercilessly. "Filthy!" "Vile!" "Disgusting!"_

_"Stop it!" he screamed. "Stop it!"_

_A girl appeared in front of him. Her face was blurry but her voice was clear. "You're not even a pure-breed," she taunted. "How could you ever think I cared about you? I never did, no one has."_

_"Shut up!"_

_"You're weak, you know," she continued. "You can't even protect those you care for."_

_"SHUT UP!" he shrieked, backing away. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" He fell to his knees, repeating over and over again, "Get away, get away. Shut up."_

_"You're weak!" the girl yelled at him. "Don't you ever forget that!"_

_And then the demon appeared, towering over the girl, and staring at him with dark eyes. "Say good-bye, Inuyasha," he hissed, and the world was crashing down, the agony was__ unbearable, the darkness was closing in. He was suffocating, he couldn't escape, he was really going to die, he was..._

Katashi jerked awake, sweating violently, and shaking uncontrollably. He fumbled with the covers before falling out of his bed, and landing on the floor with a loud thump. He clutched at the night stand a moment, trying to regain his breathing as his vision swam before him.

He stood up shakily a few minutes later, still gripping his nightstand. The dream was still clear in his mind, and it ran through his mind like a broken record. Again and again he could hear the voices, see the girl, hear her speak.

What did the dream mean? Demons, swords, half-breeds, pure-breeds. Why were all those people disgusted with him? Who were they anyway? And those two girls, who were they? They seemed so similar, and yet so different at the same time. It felt like they had betrayed him somehow, but he had never met them before...had he?

The entire dream confused Katashi. Especially the ending. Why had that demon called him Inuyasha? Wasn't that the Higurashi girl's ex-boyfriend's name?

Suddenly, it hit Katashi. "Oh god," he whispered out loud. "I just dreamed that I was Kagome's ex-boyfriend." It made sense, the silver hair he had, what that demon called him.

No, wait. This didn't make any sense whatsoever. Why was he dreaming about demons? Demons don't exist! Only in old fairy tales that crazy old people like to tell do they exist. And he had dreamed that this...Inuyasha person was a demon too. And then...

"God, this makes no sense," Katashi yelled out, grabbing the nearest item and throwing it into the wall. It hit with a loud crash, before falling back onto the floor. It turned out to be Katashi's alarm clock.

Katashi flinched at the sight and scrambled forwards, picking it up and gingerly setting it back on his night stand. "Mom's going to kill me," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

He quietly left his room and padded down the hallway to get a drink of water. As he set the glass back down, he glanced outside. A pair of golden eyes were staring back at him.

Startled, Katashi cried out and dropped his glass. It shattered on the floor, the glass shards flying everywhere and the water seeping under his feet. He leaped backwards, cursing as he stepped on a piece of glass. He winced, and grabbed a chair, sitting down abruptly. He pried the shard out, before once again looking up, searching the yard intensely. The eyes, if they had even been there, were gone.

"I'm going insane," Katashi whispered to himself. He stood, and carefully tested out his foot. He confirmed it was good enough to walk on, and limped over to the sink, wiping off the blood and pasting a band-aid over the cut.

Katashi surveyed the kitchen. Glass was everywhere, but miraculously, or unfortunately, no one had woken up.

By the time Katashi collapsed on his bed, it was nearing four o' clock. He stared up at his ceiling, thinking over the dream and the golden eyes that he could've sworn he saw. "What the hell is happening?" he said, not even sure who he was asking. He turned around and punched his pillow angrily. "Dammit, what the hell is going on?!"

He was silent for a moment, thinking. "Inuyasha," he said, testing the name on his tongue. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes. He was having dreams about a guy who he apparently looked identical to. He felt that he was going insane. And this guy's girlfriend probably knew what was going on. "Kagome Higurashi." He spoke the name out loud, the realization setting in. That girl probably knew what was going on. She could tell him about Inuyasha, and why he was having nightmares through another person's eyes.

As soon as he had the chance, he was going to march up to that girl and demand answers. Tomorrow was Friday, and that was the perfect time to catch her, right after school got out.

"I'm going to find out what's going on," Katashi ground out angrily. "No matter what."

* * *

**Happy New Year!! Goodbye 2009, hello 2010! Everyone have a great New Year! **

**This was my last post in 2009. It's kind of sad. So to cheer me up, why don't you click that green button down there and review. Pretty please? With a cherry on top?  
**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer - I do not own InuYasha, and that's a fact, so to make me feel better, won't ya give me a pat on the back?**

**AN: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I kept my promise! New chapter before February! *dances madly around the room* Ahem, anyway. Here's the next chapter! This chapter will be switching between Katashi's POV and Kagome's.  
**

**Thanks so much for all the reviews everyone gave. I thrive on reviews and always look forward to seeing one in my inbox.**

_'Blah' _**- Thoughts**

_**'Blah'**_ **- Flashback**_  
_

**Chapter Nine.**

Katashi drummed his fingers his desk, his eyes darting between the clock and the girl seated only four seats away. School was almost out for the weekend, and today was the day he was going to confront Kagome Higurashi and get some answers.

The dream from last night was still fresh in his mind. That dream had been more vivid, more disturbing, than any dream he had ever had before. He needed to know what was going on before he completely lost his mind.

He glanced over at Kagome again, eying the girl's dark head from behind. He felt a stab of anger rush through him. How could she sit there so calmly when he was in the middle of a teenage breakdown? How could she just sit there with her textbook, calmly reading like nothing was wrong, when Katashi felt like he was practically going insane?

Katashi scowled fiercely at Higurashi's bent head, knowing that he was being unreasonable in blaming the girl for his troubles, but not bothering to change his thoughts. In a way, it was her fault. He didn't have these stupid dreams until he came to this school and met _her_, and started having weird dreams that were about _her_ boyfriend. And right now the only person he could turn to about these freaking dreams was _her_. It was infuriating.

He turned back to his paper, pretending to study the textbook, but not actually paying attention to what it said. He returned to thumping his fingers down, creating different beats and rhythms to pass that time.

Did school usually last this long? Katashi looked at the clock once again and had to fight valiantly to suppress the urge to scream and throw his textbook at it.

He turned towards Higurashi once again. She was no longer paying attention to the lesson, but was gazing out the window. She seemed lost in thought but Katashi suspected she wasn't thinking about math equations. She appeared relaxed though, with that glazed look in her eyes that said she was thinking about home, that place in the future that involved giggly girls like Yuka and bicycles and...

Wait a second, what the hell was he thinking about? Katashi blinked and shook his head slightly, turning back to his textbook, feeling much more determined to corner Kagome after school and get some answer. Still, Katashi thought as he tried to tune into the teacher's tirade, Yuka was a pretty annoying girl. With that high voice, and bubbly attitude...Kagome Higurashi was a much more sensible girl, and more pleasant to be around. If she wasn't such a damn mystery, Katashi added mentally. He bowed his head, determined to concentrate on the lesson and failing spectacularly. Only fifteen more minutes and then answers. He wasn't going to leave her alone until she spilled.

* * *

_He's staring at me again. Why is he staring at me? He shouldn't be staring at me! I stare at him, I creep him out, I cause him to believe I should be cooped up in a white room, I'm the stalker, not him. Why is he staring at me? Did he stop? Is he still staring at me? God, why is he staring?_

Kagome shifted uncomfortably. She could feel his burning gaze drilling holes into her back. He wouldn't stop looking at her. Was the back of her head really that interesting?

Kagome stared at her book, willing herself to pay attention and to ignore the strange yet familiar eyes that seemed to bore into her. She forced her thoughts away, bringing up memories of the past week that included Ayumi's new boyfriend, Yuka's new hair style attempt, as well as Eri getting into a fight with a girl from a rival school and dumping her milkshake all over the other girl's uniform. But as hard as she tried, she couldn't get those eyes out of her mind.

She looked over at the window, staring into the distance, and wishing that things weren't so complicated. Kagome's eyes lingered on the ledge, remembering all the various times Inuyasha had arrived and nearly given her a heart attack when he appeared outside of the window, quite comfortable in the midst of her discomfort.

Kagome smiled, the memories coming back to her unwillingly, but a welcome distraction from the boy sitting not far from her that looked so like the half-demon she'd known a couple of years ago.

Half-demon. Kagome's gaze wavered as the word crossed her mind. Half-breed. Inuyasha's face leapt unbidden into her mind. She couldn't help it. She hated that phrase. The title, the classification, the prejudice that was brought with it. The way that it had ruined her life so utterly. The way it had ruined Inuyasha's life.

Kagome bit her lip and turned away from the window, blinking back tears and repeating the mantra, "Must not cry," over and over in her head.

It did no good. Her vision swam, blurring with the tears she was trying to keep back as the memory of that night came back to her. **_I guess I have a sorry pet too. It's not even a purebreed._**

The flash of pain and hurt and betrayal that had flashed through the golden eyes that usually exuded confidence and smugness. **_Maybe you should get a new pet._**

"I'm sorry," Kagome whispered softly. "I'm so sorry. It was never supposed to happen like that."

BRRRRRRINGG!

Kagome gave a small yelp as the bell startled her out of her thoughts. The teacher was reminding the students of their homework and not to be late on Monday. She quickly wiped her eyes and grabbed her books, determined not to show her friends that she'd nearly started bawling in the middle of math class.

"Hey Kagome! Want to grab a milkshake?" Ayumi's cheery voice broke through her hazy mind.

"Sure," answered Kagome, attempting to sound as normal as possible. "Can I ever say no to a chocolate milkshake?"

"And maybe we'll get all the new spicy details about Ayumi's new boyfriend," hinted Eri in a non-subtle way.

"Maybe we'll get to meet him," added Yuka. The two girls looked at each other and broke into giggles.

Kagome rolled her eyes, feeling better already. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you two say." She slung her backpack over her shoulders and joined the other girls as they walked out of the school onto the grounds. "I just can't believe that we're going to have a pre-quiz exam next week. Isn't that just awful?"

"Are you kidding?" moaned Eri. "I think that this is going to be the worst weekend of my life. Having to study for a pre-quiz exam. I think our teacher is really a demon in disguise."

Yuka agreed, not noticing Kagome stiffening beside her. "Yeah. He's probably a big red demon with horns that has a horrid lust for suffering students. The more they suffer the better! Did you know he's the only teacher that gives a pre-quiz exam. We're living under a tyrant!"

"A dictator!"

"A snot-nosed king!"

Eri gave Ayumi a strange look before looking at Kagome expectantly. "Er, a bastard?" offered Kagome weakly.

"Yes! The dicatorish, snot-nosed, kingly, bastardly, tyranty, teacher! What luck we have, right, girls?" Yuka waved her hands around in a dramatic display of horror.

"Maybe our teacher will eat us so that we won't have to go through senior year next year," suggested Eri, sounding hopeful.

"Maybe our teacher will thrust knowledge into our brain so that we can skip senior year and go straight to college," piped up Ayumi.

"Maybe our teacher will give us jobs right away so that we won't have to go through college," said Yuka thoughtfully.

"Maybe our teacher will graduate us from high school and college and give us the winning tickets to a lottery so that we can retire by age twenty-one," stated Kagome bluntly.

"I think I like Kagome's idea the best," said Eri, nudging Kagome. "It sounds the most romantic."

"Does your life have to revolve around romance, Eri?" asked Kagome.

"Yes! What would life be without love?"

"I don't know, maybe...sensible?"

"It would be awful! No chocolates, notes, juicy topics to gossip about - not that I ever gossip or anything - and..."

"Maybe if you didn't think about love all the time you would stop getting Fs in math and science!" exclaimed Ayumi.

"Speaking of romance, is that the Fukuda boy who just turned the corner," cut in Yuka suddenly.

"WHAT!" Kagome's head whipped around so quickly she was astonished she didn't hurt her neck.

All four girls came to a halt and glanced behind. "That is Katashi Fukuda!" said Eri. "Hey Kagome, have you two switched the stalking roles without telling me? He's coming straight towards us!"

And indeed he was. _Why is he coming towards me!_ panicked Kagome. _He should not be coming towards me! He certainly should not walk towards me like he's going to try to talk to me! His eyes are staring at me. Just like earlier. God, do I have something on my face? Please say no please say no please say no please say..._

"Hey."

Kagome gulped.

Eri elbowed her violently in the ribs.

Ayumi stared unabashedly.

Yuka said hello.

An awkward silence descended upon the fivesome.

Katashi shifted and averted his eyes.

Kagome stared at everything but him.

Eri gave Kagome a death glare and turned to Katashi. "So, Katashi. What are ya doing?"

Katashi's eyes darted in every direction but never seemed to land on Kagome. "I was hoping I could talk to Kagome."

Dead silence.

Katashi stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Alone."

Ayumi giggled.

Eri smiled.

Yuka kicked Kagome's foot.

Kagome started out of her frozen state. "Oh, uh, sure!" she said, reddening slightly. She looked at the Inuyasha look-alike and hoped against all odds that the Apocalypses would suddenly happen right at that moment.

"Well, have a nice chat. We'll see you later, Kagome," said Eri as she began moving away.

"Yeah, bye, Kagome!"

"See you later!"

Drat the freaking Apocalypses. She never did have good luck anyway.

Kagome smiled hesitantly at Katashi who did not seem to be in a good mood. "So, you wanted to talk to me?" she said at last.

"Yeah, but not here. Somewhere...that's not here."

"We can go to my house," Kagome offered. "No one's home right now. Everyone's out doing something that I don't even want to think about."

"Sure," said Katashi abruptly.

The walk home was long, hard, and treacherous. Kagome felt like her senses had been heightened by a million degrees. She could practically feel every step Katashi took and every breath of air he breathed. She wanted to hyperventilate, or faint, and when she turned the corner that led to her home she wished that her house suddenly caught on fire or that she would get a phone call saying there was an emergency. Anything but a talk with this boy who reminded her so much of Inuyasha. What did he want anyway?

The two started climbing up the steps to Kagome's house. Kagome's mind was whirling with memories of the last time she had climbed these steps with Inuyasha. That time when Inuyasha had kissed her right outside her window. Those days when he would break everything and she would start screaming at him and he'd get that adorable look on his face that would make him look so cute but would get her even more mad at the same time.

Kagome risked a cautious look behind her and nearly fell backwards. Katashi had the same adorable confused look on his face as he stared at his surroundings.

Kagome tried to swallow, but her throat had dried up uncomfortably. "Why don't we go inside," she croaked. "I'll get you a glass of water."

"Sure," agreed Katashi. He was looking at something in the distance. Kagome had an odd feeling that he was looking at the well. But anyone would look at the well, right? That was what most people looked at when they came here! It wasn't that it reminded him of something. Of course not! After all, he was just Katashi Fukuda, a boy who looked uncannily like the half-demon she had been in love with two years ago and had gotten killed. The half-demon she was still in love with and...

"Right, water! Coming right up!"

* * *

Katashi sat by the table, drumming his fingers nervously. Kagome was moving around in the kitchen getting a couple of glasses of ice water. He surveyed his surroundings, disturbed by the fact that this all seemed familiar to him even though he had never been here before. When he'd been walking up those steps, he'd felt like he'd been up them a thousand times already. And that one building that he knew he had been in so many times but that he had never even seen before...

"Here you go!" chirped Kagome in a too-loud too-cheerful voice. She set down his glass in front of him and took a gulp of hers. Katashi sipped at his tentatively before setting it back down.

"Thanks," he muttered, feeling uneasy.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" asked Kagome finally.

"I..." Katashi hesitated, opting to analyze the window glass rather then stare at Kagome. "I wanted to ask you some questions. I was kind of hoping you'd have some answers."

There was silence, but Katashi could sense Kagome's hands tightening around her cup.

"About what?" she asked at last, her voice restrained and forced.

"About...about some dreams I've been having. Dreams that I think that you can explain."

"Dreams? I'm not some kind of crystal ball gazer or star reader or dream interpreter." Kagome's laugh was fake.

"I realize that, but I believe that these dreams are connected with you in some way. I don't understand them, and I think that you not only can understand them, but you probably know why I'm having them too."

"You're crazy," insisted Kagome.

"I'm sure there's a reason that you stalked me for nearly two months."

Kagome's face radiated heat off of the skin that had reddened considerably. Katashi turned from the window and faced her. "I...I..." he watched her flounder around for the right answer. "I had a crush on you!" she crowed finally. "Major crush, over it by now, but when I crush, I crush hard, if you know what I mean."

"Right," Katashi agreed amiably. "A crush on me. Probably had to do with that delinquent boyfriend of yours, right? The one I remind you of?"

Kagome paled. "It was a simple mistake! You look a lot like him, that's all! Same facial structure and everything, but everything else is very different! It was a first sighting mistake!"

"After the teacher had already introduced me as Katashi Fukuda and not as your boyfriend?"

"I thought you were...in a disguise!" Kagome's fumbled answer brought a smirk from Katashi.

"A disguise? Honestly? Come up with something better."

"Look, you're blowing this way out of proportion, okay? You don't know what my boyfriend was like, so just forget it and leave me alone! I already told you it was a mistake!"

"NO!" roared Katashi, slamming his fist onto the table, his eyes flashing angrily. "I want to know the truth, Kagome! I want to know why I'm having dreams about your boyfriend! I feel like I'm going insane half the time! I'm hearing voices and I am feeling paranoid! Tell me the truth, Kagome! Tell me the truth about Inuyasha!"

There was an abrupt silence. The stillness of the room seemed eerie. There was almost no sound except for the harsh breathing coming from Katashi.

"I can't," said Kagome softly.

Katashi slumped down. "Why not?"

"Because you wouldn't understand."

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Sometimes even I don't understand."

"That's a lie."

"Yeah, I suppose it is." Kagome rubbed her left hand.

Katashi's eyes softened as they rested on her. "What happened to Inuyasha, Kagome?" he asked gently.

Kagome's gaze didn't waver. "He died."

"He died?"

"Yes. It was my fault. We had an argument, he saved my life, he died, and I never got to apologize or tell him I loved him."

"And you still thought I was him?"

"I told you that you wouldn't understand."

"Can't you try to make me understand?"

"No."

"Will you tell me one day?"

"No."

Katashi opened his mouth but couldn't think of anything to say. He averted his eyes and looked at his cup. "This cup looks familiar. Where did you get it?"

"I painted it when I was in eighth grade."

"Oh."

"Inuyasha always used that cup when he came over here."

"Ah."

Katashi raised her eyes and met his. "When I said that the only thing similar between you and Inuyasha were your facial structures, I lied."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You two are so alike that it scares me sometimes."

"Are you sure you won't tell me anything, Kagome?"

"I'm sorry, Katashi, but I can't. I'm not ready, and I don't think you are either."

"You will you tell me one day?"

Kagome smiled sadly as she picked her cup up and traced the rim with her finger. "I don't think so."

Katashi nodded, expecting this response. "Can you tell me why I'm having dreams?"

"I'm not completely sure why. I have my suspicions, but I can't tell you. I'm sorry."

Once again the two sat in silence. Finally, Katashi spoke up. "Well...maybe we can be friends at least."

Kagome smiled. "I'd like that."

The two stood up and faced each other awkwardly. "Well, I'll see you Monday I guess," said Katashi at last.

"Yeah. See ya Monday."

* * *

Long after Katashi had left the house, Kagome sat at the kitchen table, staring at the cup Katashi had held earlier. She didn't know what had prompted her to give him that cup, but it seemed wrong not to.

Kagome choked back a sob. She couldn't tell Katashi about Inuyasha. She still didn't know what - or who - Katashi was. And until she knew, she couldn't tell him anything. Even though she wanted to so much. Even though she wanted to tell him so very, very much.

* * *

**Whew! Longest chapter ever! To reward me for getting this chapter out on time and making it so long, will you review? More review equals happy me after all! REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**

**You can ask any questions and I'll try to answer them. But I can't give anything away! **

**(REVIEW!)**

**And if you didn't get the message yet, review!  
**


	10. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer - InuYasha is mine!!! Stay away, evil demons!! He's mine! Wait, get back! Noooo! Evil demons stole Inuyasha away from me, so I no longer own it. *pouts***

**AN: I've gotten a couple of reviews asking if the Feudal gang will be entering the story again. I haven't really decided yet. I'm not sure if they'll fit in the story. I'm curious as to what my readers reactions are to this. It might not affect my decision if there is not a good place to bring them in, but I might be able to squeeze them into flashbacks or something. Please tell me!**

**It took me forever to write this chapter. I got stuck about halfway through and couldn't figure out where I wanted to go with it. ^_^'  
**

**Thanks for the reviews everyone. And thanks so much to Loona for your great review. You guys are the best!  
**

_'Blah' _**- Thoughts****/Dream (At the end after the break line)**_  
_

**_'Blah' _- Flashback**

**Chapter Ten.**

Kagome's world had once again fallen into a routine. It was almost strange how her everyday life seemed to be a mix of her days in the Feudal Era and her days in her own time. She still went to school, still bickered with Souta, still got frustrated over homework, but it was _different_. It was different because _he_ was now an intricate part in her life.

Katashi Fukuda had indeed been around her the entire year so far, but now that they were friends...it was almost like having Inuyasha back again, in some strange sort of way. The absolute similarity between the two of them was uncanny, but at the same time it gave Kagome a feeling of relief, of normalcy, of contentment. It was almost like things were normal again.

Almost.

As her friendship with Katashi flourished, Kagome's thoughts started flickering back to the friends she had left behind. She wondered how they were doing. Had Sango and Miroku finally gotten together? Had Shippo grown up? Was Kirara still as cute and vicious as ever? More then once Kagome considered slipping through the well and seeing how they were doing. But she never did. She told herself it was because she didn't want to bring back old memories. She didn't want to deal with having to reforge those broken bonds with her friends. But really, on an unconscious level, she knew it was because she was afraid. Afraid that they had forgotten her, afraid that the world would be too cold, too lonely without Inuyasha there, afraid that she wouldn't even be able to go through the well anymore. Afraid she couldn't ever get back to what she considered her real home.

Her world was a confusing mess. Every night she would lay in her bed, staring up at the ceiling and running theories about Katashi through her head. Was he Inuyasha? A reincarnation of him? A ghost of him? Was he just someone who bore a frightening resemblance to the boy she had fallen in love with? What about his dreams?

Those stupid dreams! What were they? Katashi couldn't just be some random guy off the street if he had those dreams. Just like he couldn't be a simple reincarnation if he had memories of Inuyasha. Kagome herself never had memories of Kikyo's life. It was a freak accident combined with fate that led her to discover the world in the well. The world of the past. Her past. Her home.

_I'm going to have to tell him,_ Kagome thought as she turned on to her side, unable to sleep despite it being nearly four in the morning. _One of these days I'm going to reach a breaking point and I'm going to have to tell him. Or he'll discover something, figure something out, and I'll have to tell him anyway._

_**Jeez, Kagome, don't you ever lighten up? **_

_I want to stop worrying about this. I'm not trying to be uptight._

_**You think too much.**_

_I'm sorry. I know I do._

Kagome rolled over, Inuyasha's voice still ringing clearly in her mind. She needed to relax, and let things go the way they were. Whoever and whatever Katashi is, she was going to find out. Eventually.

* * *

"So then Kagome shouts out, right in the middle of class, 'that's not right!' The teacher turned to stare at her, and said, 'and how would you know? Were you actually there to see it happen?' And Kagome blushed, and then sat back down."

The occupants of the table burst out laughing as Kagome reddened.

"It's really not that funny," she muttered, her hands covering her face.

"Yes, it is," snorted Yuka. "It really is."

Katashi snickered.

Kagome took her head away from her hands and glared deeply at him. "Okay mister I'm-so-cool-I've-never-done-anything-embarrassing. I bet there's something that you've done that would have you moving to another country to escape our laughter!"

"No," said Katashi flatly, sounding completely confident in his judgment.

"That's impossible," scoffed Kagome. "I'm sure there's something."

"Yeah," Ayumi chimed in. "There's gotta be something."

"But if there is, he's probably not going to tell us," reasoned Eri.

Katashi smirked, leaning back in his seat with his hands behind his head.

Hiro, a boy in their class who had become close friends with Katashi, spoke up. "If you want to find out embarrassing stories about Katashi, all you have to do is ask his siblings!"

Kagome stilled, looking at Hiro surprised. Katashi had...siblings?!

Katashi set a wounded look in Hiro's direction. "Traitor," he said, pointing a finger at him accusingly.

Hiro just grinned.

"I didn't know you had any siblings," commented Eri.

"Yeah, well..." Katashi shrugged.

"They argue a lot," whispered Hiro conspiratorially. "He and his brother, Shinji, fight like their lives dependon it. I swear that if they had swordsor something they would've killed each other off long ago."

"Hey, I can hear you, y'know!"

Kagome glanced at Katashi, the image of him and Sesshomaru battling it out with Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga in her mind.

"That's just like me and my sister," Yuka was saying. "We fight all the time. It drives my mom crazy!"

"Yeah, well, my sister is annoying too. I swear that her goal in life is to make sure I die at a young age and that the epitaph on my tombstone says 'Died of Excessive Hyperventilation Caused By Annoying Pest Sister.' Or something just as bad!"

Kagome's brow furrowed as she glanced from Katashi to Hiro and back to Katashi. "You have a brother and sister?"

Katashi nodded, rolling his eyes slightly. "Yeah, Shinji's older by two years and Chikako's younger by three."

"Ooh! I bet they know all sorts of dirty stuff about you!" exclaimed Yuka eagerly as she leaned forwards. "I want to meet them!"

"No, you don't," said Katashi vehemently.

"Yes, we do! Hiro, make sure we meet them. I want to know every naughty detail about Katashi's life!" ordered Eri.

Hiro grinned. "Order taken and will be completed with the utmost pleasure."

Katashi groaned and buried his head in his hands. "I can't believe you," he said to Hiro, his voice muffled. "Betraying me like that."

Hiro patted Katashi on the back sympathetically. "Don't worry," he said, winking conspiratorially towards the girls. "I'll make sure they avoid all incidents that happened before the age of twelve."

Katashi raised his head and glared at Hiro. "Thanks," he said sarcastically. "That makes me feel all better."

"Have you met Kagome's brother?" asked Yuka. "Souta's pretty cute. How old is he now?"

"Eh? Kagome has a brother?" Katashi looked over at Kagome, a smirk evident on his face. "Payback for talking to my siblings?"

"Oh, you don't need to talk to Souta," said Eri cheerily. "We'll tell you everything!"

"Yeah!" chimed in Ayumi happily. "We'll tell you all of Kagome's little secrets as well!"

"I don't suppose you three have siblings?" asked Hiro in an interested tone.

Eri shrugged. "Yuka and I don't, but Ayumi has a sister who is like...fifty billion years old."

"She's thirty-five!" corrected Ayumi. "She's my step-sister."

"Well, that's old," said Eri decidedly. "So, Hiro, do you have any secret stories on Katashi right now?"

"No, unfortunately. I haven't known him long enough. But I could tell you about a prank we pulled on some guys in our class. I swear they still think they're being haunted by Shinigami."

Yuka giggled. "I should tell you about the time Eri got caught making out with her boyfriend on her couch...by her grandparents!"

"I heard that things were getting pretty heated too," snickered Kagome.

Katashi winced. "Ouch, that sucks."

Eri reddened. "Shut up!" she hissed. "Maybe I should tell them about the time Ayumi's shirt fell open at the theme park."

"I was on a roller coaster!"

"Her sister still has pictures." Eri said. "The roller coaster camera caught it."

"I found out her boyfriend has one," said Yuka. "It's hilarious, but slightly weird."

"Yeah, well, at least my boyfriend's not a delinquent!" said Ayumi heatedly.

Katashi's eyebrows immediately raised.

"Oh, yeah, who is this delinquent boyfriend I keep hearing about?" demanded Hiro.

"It doesn't matter," said Kagome, not meeting Katashi's eyes. "We broke up a couple of years ago."

"Yeah, but Kagome was in _lurve_ with him," teased Eri.

"I thought he was kind of a bastard at first," admitted Ayumi, forgetting about her own embarrassment in favor of a more interesting topic. "He was two-timing Kagome with another girl."

"We met him a couple of times though and he was really nice."

"Yeah, and handsome too," Yuka said, agreeing with Eri.

"Guys, can we drop this?" asked Kagome quickly, but the others payed no attention.

"He actually kind of looked like you, Katashi," observed Yuka. "Except his hair was long...and white...and he had golden eyes..."

"And always wore this weird red clothing," Ayumi said thoughtfully. "And had a bandanna or cap on his head."

"Bad boy," muttered Yuka under her breath.

"What was his name?" Hiro asked. "I'm rather annoyed that I didn't get to meet this guy. He seems like he's the type to own a motorcycle."

"Or a Lamborghini." Katashi wiggled his eyebrows. "Imagine that."

"Better." Hiro nodded happily.

"Inuyasha," supplied Eri. "Kind of a strange name, but he was a delinquent, right?"

"Yeah, but he was sweet too. Kagome used to miss a lot of school because she got sick a lot, and he was there often to take care of her." Yuka sighed dreamily. "When I get a boyfriend again, I wish he would do that for me."

"We used to never see Kagome cause she got sick so much," Ayumi told Katashi. "It hasn't happened in forever though."

Katashi's eye suddenly sharpened. "Where did you meet him, Kagome?"

Kagome looked surprised. "Hmm?"

Eri frowned. "Hey, where did you meet him? I never thought about that. You were sick so often...when did...?"

"Uh..." _Crap,_ thought Kagome frantically. _Why do they always have to be so interested in my love life?!_ "History convention," she said, suddenly inspired. "My mother took me to one since she thought I was getting behind in school and I ran into him there. We started hanging out, and then dating." _No more questions, I might let something slip! I can't tell Katashi anything! Not yet. _

"Weird," commented Hiro. "He doesn't seem like the type of guy to enjoy history conventions."

"He wasn't," responded Kagome, grinning at the thought of Inuyasha at a history convention, staring with a baffled look on his face at all the strange artifacts surrounding him. God, he probably would've destroyed a lot of priceless objects. "He was with his girlfriend. They broke up soon after."

"I wish my ex-boyfriend was like him, actually," said Eri suddenly. "At least Kagome's boyfriend wasn't a complete asshole."

"I know! For all his reputation was worth, Inuyasha was actually a decent guy!"

The girls got caught up in a discussion of boyfriends, and when Hiro threw in a derisive comment, they pounced on him angrily and dragged him into an uncomfortable discussion about dating rules.

Katashi looked at Kagome dryly. "Ex-girlfriend?" he asked quietly.

Kagome returned his look coolly. "Yes," she said evenly. "He loved her very much. Things didn't work out though."

An eyebrow raised. "Two-timer?"

Kagome flushed. "Hardly. It was...complicated. They had a misunderstanding and his ex tried to..." an image of Kikyo flashed into Kagome's mind. What had been her objective exactly? Kagome could never tell. Inuyasha had always chased after her but had she ever truly wanted him back? Sometimes, Kagome wondered. "It was complicated," she repeated lamely. "But I knew that Inuyasha cared for me." _Not like Kikyo though_. "And I cared for him." _Even though he probably would've chosen her in the end._

Katashi studied her intently, his indigo eyes searching her face. "Did you love him?" he asked suddenly.

Kagome jerked back as if she had been slapped. The words stung. More than she had been counting on. Her friends' conversation was long forgotten, just a slight blur of noise in the background. Loved him? Loved Inuyasha? Did she really love him?

_Yes. _

She did love him. More then she wanted to admit.

**_A half-breed. They're disgusting creatures. They don't belong anywhere. They're not fully human, so the human race rejects them. They're tainted with human blood, so the demons scorn them. They're outcasts. _**

Inuyasha. Tears threatened to spring up in Kagome's eyes but she kept them in forcefully, refusing to cry in front of this Inuyasha-clone...this fake image of the half-demon that she had loved.

**_"I'll always protect you, Kagome. And I won't leave you, not if you need me. I won't be able to stop loving Kikyo but..."_**

_But what, Inuyasha? _asked Kagome desperately, the dream that she had only a few months ago coming back fully into her mind._ Did you love me enough that you were willing to leave Kikyo? Would you have stayed with me if Kikyo had invited you? Did...did you really love me at all?  
_

**_"I promise, Kagome, I'll protect you with everything I have, and if I leave...I'll find a way back. I promise."_**

_Don't lie to me! You're dead! You died in front of me! Don't you dare lie to me! Don't give me fake promises, and don't tell me things that will give me false hopes. _

_**I guess I have a sorry pet too. It's not even a purebreed. **_

_**Maybe you should get a new pet.**_

_If you're going to come back than do it already! Don't leave me alone! Don't leave me waiting. Inuyasha...I love you!_

_**Cocky grin. Obnoxious voice. Red clothing. Annoying words. White hair. Deadly sword. Gold eyes.** _**Inuyasha**.

_I love you, you idiot!_

_I love all you guys. Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, even Koga and Ginta and Hakkaku. I love you all and I miss you. Hell, even Sesshomaru, the cold ice bastard. I miss you all. I love you all. You guys were home to me. _

_Home. _

What was home? Home was her group. Her friends. Her family. Home was with those five beings she had grown so close to. Home was with Shippo, protecting him and fighting for him, teaching him and playing with him. Home was hiding from Miroku and shrieking at him when he took his perverted ways too far. Home was playing Kirara, flying on her, and cuddling with her. Home was talking to Sango about the two idiotic boys that they had the misfortune of falling in love with. Home was having do deal with Koga's pointless flirting and dealing with Ginta and Hakkaku's annoying background commentary. Home was yelling awful things at Sesshomaru and trying to provoke a reaction from him. Home was watching Jaken try to impress his lord and always fail miserably. Home was getting jealous over Kikyo whenever she appeared and then feeling guilty about it. Home was popping in to say hi to Kaede and hearing her laugh at Inuyasha. Home was battling with Naraku and furiously ranting about his evil deeds. Home was searching for the jewel shards and running into Kagura, and Kanna, and Hakudoshi. Home was arguing with Inuyasha and yelling "SIT!!" whenever he did something out of line.

_Inuyasha. Sango. Miroku. Shippo. Kirara. _

_Home.  
_

_**Those eyes, staring into her. Piercing her. It was him. He was here, around her, standing right in front of her. She felt safe, secure, invincible, because he was there. Always would be there. Those gold eyes promised protection, and spoke silent words that wouldn't be said aloud. "Kagome." Inuyasha. "Kagome, I..." Inuyasha. "Kagome. You worry too much." Inuyasha. "Kagome? Kagome? Kagome?"  
**_

"Kagome?"

Kagome gasped, startled out of her thoughts and memories, her eyes immediately focusing onto those familiar indigo eyes across from her. Those eyes that she saw only saw during the new moon. His eyes. _Inuyasha._

"Kagome, are you alright?"

_Katashi._

Katashi. Katashi Fukuda. Inuyasha look alike. A pretender.

"Kagome, are you listening? Hello? Kagome?"

Yuka's sharp voice cut into her world. It shattered, dropping and scattering like broken glass shards.

_Or like my heart_, thought Kagome grimly.

Broken. Cracked. Fractured. Destroyed. Ripped out and stomped on by a raving Band of Seven member.

"Oi, Kagome!" snapped Ayumi loudly, as a hand connected solidly with the back of her head.

"Ow!" moaned Kagome, turning indignantly to stare murderously at Eri. "What was that for?"

"You were blanking out," said Hiro. He was practically leering over her. When did he stand up? "It was like you were in some intense form of meditation. Are you a ninja or a monk or something?"

_Close, but not quite hitting the target. A priestess. _

"I was just thinking." Kagome waved her hand carelessly, looking as though she believed people zoned out from the rest of the world all the time.

"What about? A boy, maybe?"

_Stop thinking about my love life! _shrieked Kagome mentally. "I was thinking about my past," Kagome said, trying to look as out of it as possible. She tried to contort her face into a dazed expression. "About the love I once shared, and the battles I fought. About...back then." She bit her lip, and lowered her head slightly, feeling rather proud of her dramatic over-the-top performance.

A hand found it's way onto her forehead. "Are you sure you're okay, Kagome?" asked Eri, looking rather concerned.

_I'm either a really bad actor so they think I'm delirious or a really good one...so that they still think I'm delirious, _thought Kagome irritably. "I'm fine." She paused, and looked over to Katashi who had remained silent during this exchange. "Actually, I think I might be coming down with something. I should probably head home."

"Do you need someone to walk you home?" asked Katashi abruptly.

Kagome paused. "No," she said firmly. "I'll be fine." She stood up quickly, and said good-bye to the five other teens. Katashi gave her a hard look as she left the small ice cream shop. She blew some hair out of her eyes.

_He's not going to give up on this_, Kagome realized. _He wants to know what's going on. _

Kagome shivered slightly from the wind as she walked down the sidewalk. _You need to be more careful_, she told herself sternly. _No one can find out the truth about Inuyasha. Not even Katashi. Especially not Katashi._

_**I'll find a way back. I promise.**_

_**

* * *

**_

_Darkness. Never ending darkness._

_Chains. Unbroken chains._

_Lock. A lock with no key. _

_Prison. An inescapable prison. _

_He turns, desperate, the chains draped around him clanking loudly in the eerie silence. It's cold...too cold. He shivers. He can't see anything. There's only darkness. Everywhere. He doesn't know where to turn. It goes on for eternity. Never ending. _

_It's suffocating. He can't breathe. Panicked, indiscernible thoughts race through his mind. _

_What kind of prison is this?_

_He can't see anything but the darkness. He feels a lock gripping in his chest. It's restraining him, keeping him petrified, frozen. He's trapped inside something, hidden behind a wall, cut off from the rest of the world._

_So why does he feel so exposed? Why does he feel like millions of eyes are on him? Why does he feel like he's being watched...being judged?  
_

_This makes no sense. _

_What am I feeling?_

_Where am I?_

_"You're a half-breed." _

_He hears a voice echo. The voice is nothing, but everything. It has no gender, no sound, no feeling, no emotion, no texture, but it exists. _

_"You're a vile creature."_

_Who is this? Is it real? What is happening? _

_He works his jaw and scrambles to find his voice._

_"W-who are you?" he croaks out. "W-who am I?"_

_"Half-breed!" the voice says. It sounds disgusted now. _

_"What's happening?" _

_"Why do you exist? You're nothing. You belong nowhere. You shouldn't be here."_

_"I d-don't understand." His head starts hurting, and he begins to hyperventilate._

_"Why do you try to continue? Why don't you just...end it?" The voice is smooth, soothing, suffocating. _

_He suddenly stands free of chains, but he can still feel the metal surrounding him. A sword is gripped in his hand. _

_"End it!" the voice whispered._

_End it? He stares, confused. What is wrong with him?_

_"It'll make the world better. Free. Free of trash."_

_End it? It sounds...inviting. _

_"This world is better off without half-breeds like you."_

_End it? It is strange that those two words make so much sense._

_"You know you want to. Do it!"_

_End it? Why on earth hadn't he thought of that before?_

_"Think of those who you will make happy."_

_End it? The sword rises slowly from his side._

_"They want you gone. Do them a favor."_

_End it? His hand slowly twists, aiming the sword in the direction of his heart._

_"You were hated your entire life. Accepted nowhere."_

_End it? The metal blade is brought forward until the tip touches his skin. His hand does not tremble. _

_"What a fitting end for one such as you."_

_End it? His eyes stare blankly ahead as he drives the sword in._

_"One less mongrel to look after."_

_End it? Strange how it doesn't hurt like he thought it would._

_"A filthy half-breed."_

_End it? _

_"Disgusting."_

_Blood seeps from the wound. _

_Darkness. Never ending darkness._

_Chains. Unbroken chains._

_Lock. A lock with no key. _

_Prison. An inescapable prison. _

* * *

**I'm actually not completely happy with this chapter, but I figured that if I didn't get it out soon I would have to hire body guards so I wouldn't get murdered by my readers. I'm only fourteen! I don't have the money!! Don't kill me!!!**

**For anybody who likes to reread stories, I will eventually be revising the first chapters. I reread some of them and immediately thought "oh my god they're horrible." I think I've improved since I started this story so I will be revising. Don't worry, this won't effect my irregular updates! ;) I probably won't even start doing it for awhile. Maybe. Who knows? **

**There shouldn't be too many OCs in this story, and I brought Hiro in since I figured Katashi needed a friend. I'm not sure if he'll stick around or not...we'll see!**

**And of course, just in case it's not clear, the ending is one of Katashi's confusing dreams. Poor bewildered Katashi!  
**

**Anyway, please review and tell me your thoughts on this chapter. I'd love to hear some constructive criticism. :)  
**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer - All right, I'll make this short and simple today. I don't own InuYasha. That's pretty clear, isn't it?**

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews everyone! As a notice to those who like to reread stories, I have replaced the first few chapters with newly updated versions! (It's amazing how much easier it is to rewrite things rather than right out a whole new chapter.)**

**And of course, to my anonymous reviewers who I couldn't reply to: **

**kagome8657 - Thanks, glad you enjoyed. :) **

**Sky Blue Half Demon - I know, I finally updated, right? ^_^ Glad you loved it.  
**

**Dark - It _would_ be funny if that happened, but since Katashi doesn't have Inuyasha's necklace...it wouldn't work. :( But that was a good idea! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.**

**Anime Gurl 013 - It is a funny name, but I'm used to it by now. I actually did know what inu meant, no idea where I found it out though. You'll just have to find out whether Katashi goes to the Feudal Era or not. *smiles mysteriously*  
**

**Chapter Eleven.**

"They _are_ coming, right? They're not going to just, like, back out at the last moment? And there _is_ a cute girl, right? Like, a really, really, really cute girl? You're not dating, right? Oooh, are you? Oh my god, MOM! MOM! Katashi's dating a really cute girl!"

"Oi!" shouted Katashi, grabbing the nearest object and throwing it at his younger sister. "Shut up! I am _not_ - and I repeat - _not_ dating a cute girl."

Chikako ducked the flying textbook that hit the wall with a dull _thump_! "MOM!" she shrieked. "Katashi's dating a really ugly girl!"

"I'm not dating anyone!" roared Katashi, leaping out of his chair with the intent to throw his little sister out of his room.

She squealed and dodged, ducking under his oncoming body and zooming out the door and down the hallway as Katashi crashed into the wall headfirst.

Katashi groaned as he sat up, rubbing his bruised forehead. He glared viciously at the wall as if it was the wall's fault he now had a bump on his forehead.

He returned to his desk where his homework strewn out. Ever since his little sister Chikako had found out he would be having friends (who were girls) over, she had been hovering constantly, never giving him a moment's break for fresh Chikako-free air.

His mother had been happy to hear he was - direct quote - "broadening his horizons from those rough boys you like to hang out with."

Katashi had irritably replied that just because Hiro watched sumo wrestling did _not_ make him a rebel or a bad person.

His mother didn't agree.

And of course, Shinji - who had happened to overhear the entire conversation - had started laughing uncontrollably at his brother's predicament.

Katashi was not amused.

_What's the big deal, anyway?_ he grumbled to himself as he roughly started writing out a rough draft of an essay. _They're just girls! I don't even want them coming over anyway!_

He'd been blackmailed by Hiro into inviting Higurashi and her friends over for dinner.

Katashi had tried to retaliate by bringing up an embarrassing incident involving Hiro, swimming trunks, and a not-so-private hot tub, but Hiro had waved it away, claiming that was old news.

Katashi had scowled fiercely. Having only known Hiro for the amount of time he had lived here, he could recall no other revenge material and had reluctantly agreed to invite the four girls over.

As Chikako returned to his room, talking even faster than usual, he really wished that he hadn't given in to Hiro's wheedling, and just accepted Hiro's retelling of a daring tale that would probably have left Katashi hiding under a rock for the rest of his life. A really really big rock...probably a massive boulder of some sort - preferably on his head.

Probably a better choice than allowing his mother to meet a girl his sister had just announced as his girlfriend.

Which was a ludicrous claim considering the four girls coming over were not girlfriend material.

There was Eri who talked too much and liked to gossip about the latest news that circled around the school.

There was Yuka who also talked too much and also liked to gossip about the latest news that circled around the school.

There was Ayumi who - coincidentally - also talked too much, and while she didn't gossip as much as the other two, she had her fair share of juicy details that she spilled. She also apparently had a boyfriend.

And then there was Kagome who - unbelievably - didn't talk too much or even gossip. Which was quite a miracle considering who her friends were. Katashi actually found Kagome to be quite a reasonable girl, the type that he would definitely put on his potential girlfriend list...

If it wasn't for her strange weirdness and these damn dreams he'd been having. And the fact that she - a stranger - apparently knew what all his dreams meant.

"I bet you dream about her _all _the time, right? Ooh, I should sneak in here with a video camera and see if you talk in your sleep or make strange noises. I'll show it to Mom and she'll give you a lecture about weird, grown-up stuff that I probably don't want to know about and then..."

"Get out of my room!" Katashi erupted, swinging out of his chair and physically lifting his smaller sister up and over his shoulder.

"Hey!" she squealed, beating her hands against his back. "Let me down you moron! I'll tell Mom! Put me down!"

"Shut up!" retorted Katashi as he walked down the hallway, passing a bemused looking Shinji on the way. He kicked Chikako's door open and flung her onto her bed. "Stay out of my room!"

"Mom told you not to manhandle me!" squawked Chikako, scrambling into an upright position so she could look more intimidating. "You're going to be so busted!"

"I'd like to see you try and get me in trouble!" snapped Katashi, storming out of her room.

Her threats echoed down the hallway as he headed back to his own sanctuary, determined to finish his homework.

It was never meant to be.

"Having fun, little bro?" came Shinji's low, yet highly annoying voice.

"Shut up!" Was this seriously the seventeenth time he had said that in the past half hour?

Shinji was lounging against the wall, looking every bit of the popular, trendy, "cool" kid that he - and basically everyone else at his school - considered him to be. He had the latest hairstyle and the latest fashion trends. He was a sports fan and was an athlete at school. He even excelled in the Sciences and Maths. He flunked out in Grammar and Language. He rarely cared what people actually thought of him - or at least, he pretended not to care - but he preferred to stay with the popular crowd, informing Katashi that those from the lesser part of school would be bad for his future. He always liked to portray the image of a cool, detached, awesome teen that everyone wanted to be like. He always made sure his clothes were in style, his hair was perfectly tousled, and his image unruffled and smooth.

Shinji liked to call it "caring about one's status and reputation."

Katashi liked to call it "obsessive and girly."

This usually caused Shinji to lose his so-called "unruffled" image and throw a punch at Katashi's nose.

Katashi frequently responded with a nasty right hook.

This often escalated into a full blown out fight complete with curses, threats, insults, blood, broken noses, and broken pictures, vases, frames, lamps, etc.

These fights ended with their mother flying into the room and towering over the tussling boys with all the fury of a mad dragon.

They were grounded for a week after coming back from the doctor's to get their noses fixed.

Ahh. Brotherly love.

"What?" said Shinji in a voice only he could pull off, vicious, innocent, mocking, and amused all rolled up into one package.

No wonder he considered himself so great.

"Leave me alone," snarled Katashi, not in the mood for the ongoing feud with his brother at that moment. "I really don't want to deal with you right now."

"Want to get back to your girlfriend? It is a real girl, right? You did used to have an imaginary friend, remember? You liked to introduce her to strangers and say she was your future wife. You didn't propose, did you? Aww, my little bro's growing up!"

"Shut the hell up!" Katashi growled, stomping past his brother to his room. He barged into it, and slammed the door behind him which closed with a very satisfying thud that rang throughout the entire house.

"Katashi!" came his mother's voice. "Stop slamming doors! It's bad for your health!"

"How the hell is slamming a door bad for my health!" hollered Katashi, glaring at the door which was once again causing him pain.

"It weakens the house structure!" was Mrs. Fukuda's reply. "The house will eventually be worn down and collapse on our heads, causing us severe damage! Don't swear either! It'll attract the wrong type of people, very bad kids who get into trouble! They'll ruin your life by leading you down the dark path!"

God, his mother was infuriating.

Katashi groaned miserably as he flopped down on his bed, no longer in the mood for doing his homework. He was content to ignore his unwritten essay for the duration of the next few hours.

He stared up at the ceiling, an uneasy feeling coming upon him as he thought about tomorrow. For some reason, the thought of allowing Kagome Higurashi into his life even further was unsettling. _Probably because it feels like she knows more about my life than I do_, Katashi reasoned.

It made no sense. The strange dreams he had been having had heightened even more, and the feeling of familiarity with each one grew day by day. Each time he had a different dream, he felt like he had lived it before, despite the fact that it was the first time he was having that particular dream.

And worst of all, the dreams were no longer feeling like such. They felt more like...like memories.

Memories of a past life, a life Katashi had once lived.

But that made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Katashi had read stories and been told old legends of people who had several lives or lost memories of their early lives and later discovered they were some type of fantastical demon or something or other. But that did not even begin to explain his own predicament of dreaming about places and events that weren't his own yet felt so normal.

He could remember his entire life, his earliest memory being a blurry scene back when he was two when he tried to steal milk from his older brother while Shinji was wailing loudly. Katashi could fuzzily recall the spilled milk and his mother's concerned face as she bent over him, before distantly scolding him about about taking his brother's drink.

It was certainly his life, and he had definitely lived it. So how on earth could he have possibly lived another life?

Katashi rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face into his fluffed pillow. _I'm reading too much into this_, he thought. _I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation as to why I'm having these dreams. I'm sure a doctor would know. Maybe I'll talk to Mom about seeing one._

Instantly resolved in his new plan of action, Katashi shot up and flew across the room, opening the door and pounding down the stairs.

He conveniently ignored the voice in his head telling him there was absolutely no logical explanation as to why weird Kagome Higurashi knew so much about his dreams.

"Oi, Mom!" he called out.

"Don't yell, Katashi," replied his mother urgently. "It hurts your throat."

"Mom," complained Katashi, entering the kitchen. "It's going to hurt my throat more if I _never_ speak. Anyway, I was wondering if..." he hesitated, his resolve faltering as he imagined his mother's inevitable overblown reaction to his request to see a doctor - the total opposite of his usual routine of shrieking like a girl and locking himself in the basement until his mother had to call the fire department to get him out. Still, he was certain that a doctor would be able to help him avoid his recent dreams. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself for the upcoming blow-up. "Mom, I was wondering if you could schedule an appointment with my doctor." He cringed, eyes averted as he braced himself.

A moment's silence.

"What?" screeched his mother as she flew over to him. "Are you alright? Are you you feeling okay? Did you break any bones? Bumps? Bruises? Are you ill? Do you have a fever? Sit down! Let me take your temperature? Have you had any hallucinations? How many fingers am I holding up? Do you remember my name? Do you remember your name? Do you remember who you are? Where you live? Do you have a headache? What are your..."

"_Mom_," groaned Katashi, rolling his eyes. "I'm _fine_, I'm not sick at all. I just want to see a doctor for...a consultation or something."

His mother paused, one hand resting on his forehead while the other continued shimmying up and down his arm checking for bumps or bruises. "A consultation? For what?" She moved her hand down from his forehead to his cheek.

"Mom, stop that," said Katashi, batting away her hands. "I just want to get his opinion and see if he can get me any medication or something for a..."

"No," his mother interrupted. "My baby is not getting any medication at such a young age. It's not good for you."

"It's not good for me to be having dreams that are plaguing me every second of the day, Mom!" yelled Katashi.

Mrs. Fukuda faltered. "Dreams?" she repeated.

Katashi nodded. "Yeah. I've been having these dreams lately that have really been bothering me...I just want them to stop."

His mother didn't say anything as she touched his cheek again. "All right, dear," she said. Katashi breathed a silent sigh of relief, knowing she was restraining herself from asking him even more questions. "I'll set up an appointment immediately." She paused a moment. "Katashi, what kind of dreams have you been having?"

Katashi froze, the images of his latest dream flashing before his eyes. He _couldn't_ tell her about them, he just couldn't.

"Mom..." he began gently.

The doorbell echoed through the house.

_Saved by the bell_, Katashi thought.

His mother withdrew her hand, glancing up at the clock. "Ah, that must be Hiro," she commented. "Go get the door, Katashi. Make sure you avoid hitting that bookcase on the wall. I should move that, it's quite easy to knock into."

* * *

Katashi glared at Hiro as he grudgingly trudged up the stairs after his friend. "I still can't believe you blackmailed me into inviting them over," he grumbled as he followed the other boy into his bedroom.

Hiro smiled condescendingly. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I simply suggested you invite them and you fairly jumped at the idea."

Katashi gave his friend a black look.

"Besides," Hiro continued as he collapsed onto Katashi's bed, "It's about time you got a girlfriend. You seem awfully interested in Higurashi."

"I am not," declared Katashi vehemently.

"You had a pretty long, intimate conversation with her when we were walking to the ice cream shop on Friday."

"We were complaining about the surprise quiz we had in class."

Hiro rolled his eyes. "You're in denial," he said slyly.

"No, I'm not," said Katashi flatly. "I'm not interested in Kagome that way."

"Oh? That's what people always say when they're in denial."

"Or it's it what people say when they're really not interested in someone."

"Well, they also usually have a reasonable explanation as to why they're not interested in someone," observed Hiro. "So what's your reasoning?"

"I'm just not," retorted Katashi prosaically.

"Great argument, I'm completely convinced that you don't like her now."

"Shut up," growled Katashi, struggling to overcome the urge to throw something at Hiro. Preferably a sharp, pointy object of some sort.

"Boys!" came his mother's call from downstairs. "Will you be kind dears and come and help me in the kitchen? It's only polite to help your hard-working mother in this manner!"

Katashi welcomed the change of environment and was out the door and down the hallway in two seconds flat.

Hiro entered the kitchen after him only a couple of minutes later, shooting an apprehensive glance back to the living room before the door swung shut. "Your mother doesn't like me much, does she?"

"My mother doesn't like anyone very much," noted Katashi as he threw a potholder at Hiro, mentally cheering himself when it hit Hiro directly on the nose.

"Geez, thanks," said Hiro sarcastically as he bent down to pick up the holder. "So, what are we supposed to do?"

Katashi shrugged. "Just start getting everything together so Mom won't have any trouble bringing things out in an orderly manner. She's a dictator when it comes to those types of things."

A loud shriek suddenly resounded through the entire house, causing Katashi to release a startled yelp as he knocked over a plate full of cooked chicken.

"They're here they're here they're here!" squealed Chikako. Katashi could hear her as she rushed down the stairs to the front door. Her shrill voiced resonated fully through the entire house as she opened it. "Hi!" she exclaimed, torn between acting like the perfect host or the role of being a perfectly annoying little sister.

Hiro sent a triumphant smirk in Katashi's direction. "And so it begins," he whispered in a prophetic voice.

He was hit seconds later with a flying spatula.

When Katashi entered the living room area, Mrs. Fukuda had already turned on her super-duper hostess mode and was gushing over the four girls standing in her living room. Chikako was copying her mother to the fullest, grinning wildly at the four girls, one of whom she was fully convinced was her brother's future wife.

"Oh, Katashi," gushed Mrs. Fukuda, flitting over to her son to seize him by the arm. She dragged him the rest of the way into the room and nodded enthusiastically at each of the four girls. "You didn't tell me how cute all these girls were!"

A loud snicker could be heard from the doorway which Katashi promptly ignored. He instead gave a falsely bright and cheerful greeting to the four girls, avoiding eye contact with Kagome.

Within seconds, Katashi was seated between Yuka and Ayumi, with Kagome directly across from him while his mother went to finish preparing dinner.

Katashi glanced nervously at his sister who was chatting eagerly with Hiro and Eri. He could only imagine the tales she was happily proclaiming.

"It was nice of you to invite us to dinner, Katashi," said Ayumi from his left side.

_Yeah, right_, thought Katashi while an image of a brutally beaten Hiro floated into his mind. "No problem," he said aloud, flashing another grin at Ayumi. "Glad you could make it."

There was a moment of awkward silence.

"So, Katashi," said Ayumi suddenly. "Hiro told me that you've been thinking of getting a job. I've been wondering what type of job you would want?"

Katashi glanced at Ayumi sharply before hesitantly giving his answer. "Well, I've been thinking of getting a job at one of the dojos down town as a part time instructor."

"Katashi's been doing kendo since he was eight," volunteered Hiro, cutting into the conversation.

"Yeah, I'm thinking of teaching beginners the basics and everything. Or something like that."

Katashi would've missed Kagome's eyes widening in surprise if he hadn't happened to be looking directly at her at that moment. "You do kendo?" she inquired, speaking for the first time that night. Her voice sounded shaky and hesitant. Katashi eyed her for a second, wondering if she was feeling well or not. "I never knew that."

"Yeah, I also took American fencing during a foreign exchange program I was in when I was fourteen."

"Katashi's like obsessed with sword-fighting," joked Hiro.

"Oi, don't talk like you know everything about me you bastard!"

"Katashi knows everything there is to know about sword-fighting and such!" chimed in Chikako. "He took martial arts when he was three, but wanted to do kendo instead."

"Why are we always talking about me?" Katashi asked, feeling both annoyed and slightly embarrassed. "Ask someone else about their personal life."

"Sure," said Hiro amicably. "Have you girls ever done sports?"

"I took a martial arts class for a couple of years when I was ten, but I quit," said Yuka.

"What about you, Kagome?" Chikako asked.

Kagome looked rather flustered. "Er, well, I haven't actually _done_ any sport but I'm good at archery." Her cheeks were red, and she refused to look at Katashi.

"Really?" Hiro stared at Kagome. "I have to see you do that!"

Kagome didn't look at him as Hiro began questioning Eri and Ayumi about their sports history. Katashi studied Kagome as the girl listened silently to the others conversation.

She looked almost ill. Her skin was paler than usual, and her eyes looked a little puffy. Why hadn't he noticed that before? _Because you were avoiding looking at her, dumbass_, Katashi reminded himself. _Just like she's been avoiding you._

"Here you go, everyone!" sung Mrs. Fukuda as she waltzed into the room carrying a steaming platter. "Thanks for the patient wait, please enjoy your meal!"

The subject instantly changed from sports to various restaurants everyone had been to and the embarrassing things that had happened to them there. As Katashi was dragged into the conversation he snuck one last look at Kagome who was graciously thanking his mother.

He couldn't help but wonder what was wrong.

* * *

Katashi grumbled angrily to himself as he furiously banged pots and pans around, not at all happy at his current exile to the kitchen while the others still sat talking in the living room. He could only imagine what kind of dastardly things Chikako and Shinji (who had shown up in the middle of dinner) were regaling to the rest of the group. Even his mother (the judge who sentenced him to his kitchen job) would probably add in some horrifying story that (if it got out at school) would probably leave him at the bottom of the social ladder for the rest of his life.

Well, as long as she didn't drag out the picture books, he would...well, he would survive anyway. He'd definitely kill himself if there were actual images involved.

(Like that one picture from when he was eight involving a roller coaster, two day old nachos, and a really cute girl with blue eyes and dimples.)

_I'm depressing myself_, Katashi thought, resisting the urge to smash a plate into the sink and watch the pieces scatter everywhere. He grabbed a sponge and turned the water on, the loud rushing blocking out the laughter coming from the other room.

He glanced at the door once before humming quietly. (He would never live it down if he was caught humming like his mother whilst doing the dishes.)

His thoughts drifted to one particular girl who had been acting especially weird today. It was almost infuriating how often Higurashi was in his thoughts now. Her sudden erratic change in behavior certainly didn't help him forget about her. He was beginning to feel like a perverted stalker with how often she was in his thoughts.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder if she was really ill, or if something else was causing her to act (and look) weird. She hadn't even looked directly at him the whole time, and had barely spoken a word through all of dinner. (Who would've guessed that she did archery?) Maybe she was just feeling off the weather or maybe she was determined to just ignore him. Who the hell could guess what went on through her mind? Katashi fumed silently, his ire inexplicably rising as all of his current frustrations rose to the surface at the thought of Higurashi. Who the hell even cared about her? She was annoying, mysterious, and wouldn't tell Katashi something that obviously effected him so much, and now she had the gall to ignore him! Who the hell did she think she was? Why did she think...

A sudden hand on his shoulder caused him to leap about five feet in the air and knock over a pot on the counter. He dived towards it only to crash into another body who had alsoinstinctively reached for the pot.

Katashi's eyes widened as he collided with the other body and both were sent tumbling down to the floor. Katashi shut his eyes, bracing himself for the impact as he landed roughly on top of the other person.

He quickly opened his eyes after feeling the jolt that signaled his landing. He stared into the shocked eyes of Kagome Higurashi.

"Gods, I'm so sorry," Katashi blurted out, instantly getting off of her and offering her a hand. She clasped it and allowed herself to be pulled up.

"No, no, it's okay. I'm sorry for startling you." She attempted to smile but failed miserably. She handed him the pot that she had managed to catch before dusting herself awkwardly.

There was a moment's of silence.

Katashi stared at Kagome while she looked at everything but him.

"So, what did you need?" Katashi ventured finally. As the silence stretched, he began to think that she wasn't going to answer.

But the she abruptly turned her head and captured his indigo eyes with her brown ones. There was a look of both fiery determination and an aching sadness in her eyes.

"I need to speak to you," she said quietly.

* * *

**Grr. This chapter totally seems like a filler to me. But the setup was necessary. I know a whole lot didn't happen in this chapter, but we'll be getting to a much more exciting part next chapter. Trust me.  
**

**I just noticed that Katashi tends to throw things at people when he's angry. -_-; Ah, well. **

**I was almost finished with this chapter and I had to check something in a different one when I noticed that one of Kagome's friends had a different name in the earlier chapter. Through this entire chapter, I kept on changing Ayumi's name to Ayame. I went back and changed all of them, but if I happened to miss one please point it out. **

**Anyway, please review. I'm hoping to get a couple of more chapters revised by the end of the month and get a new one out during my official break week when I have absolutely nothing (no dance, no violin, no baby-sitting job, no nothing! I am so looking forward to that.) I'm looking forward to my violin break since I found out like five days ago that I have an audition in August that I have to practice like crazy for...*pouts* **

**Er, anyway...yeah, so please review! I'm hoping for a quick update after this, and more reviews would inspire me to write like crazy. *wink wink***

**On a side note, I'm changing a couple of facts in the earlier chapters. Nothing major, they're very subtle changes. When I started this story I honestly had no idea where I was going, and I actually have something planned now (might end up changing it if I think it's stupid) so I had to alter a few minor things. I have an edit note at the beginning of the chapter's I've replaced (so far only three) so you know which ones have been revised. **

**So after this incredibly long author's note, sayonara! Until next time...  
**


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